Under Cover
by mezy
Summary: Agent Bella Swan has just been given her first field assignment as an undercover agent.  Will she be able to seperate her real life from the one she is pretending to live?  Twilight/NCIS - mostly Twilight
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a Twilight/NCIS crossover. Fair warning, it's more Twilight than NCIS. Although Tony is seriously hot and I would love to just play with him...I mean his character. Okay, either way. ;o)**

**I'm just messing around with this concept. If I don't get any response I probably won't pursue it. So be sure to leave a review if you want more.**

**BTW, I don't own any of it. I'm just having fun playing with it.  
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><p>"Miss Swan? Director Vance will see you now." Cynthia smiled and nodded her head towards the sleek silver door in front of me. She was trying to be encouraging. I smiled tightly and stepped forward.<p>

I had been working for NCIS for almost a year now. Mostly I worked in the dungeon, filing paperwork and evidence away for later use. Whenever I had the chance I would work with Abby in the forensics lab. She was helping me learn how to use all the computer systems and programs in the facility. Forensics wasn't really my thing. Mostly because I pass out at the sight of blood.

Anyway, in the nearly twelve months of employment, I had never spoken to Director Vance, and he had never spoken to me. So when I had gotten the summons to his office I had immediately gone into panic mode. Maybe they weren't happy with my work? Maybe I had miss-filed something or made some other mistake? My palms felt clammy and I had to force myself to take a deep breath before opening the door to his office.

I wasn't prepared to see Special Agent Gibbs sitting at the table. He didn't look very happy. Of course, he never looks very happy.

"Director Vance? You needed to see me?" I forced my voice to be calm. I even managed a smile as I nodded my head towards Gibbs. Special Agent Gibbs, I mean.

"Isabella?" It was a question. He had no idea who I was. There was no way this could be good news.

"Yes, sir. I'm Isabella Swan. Please, call me Bella."

"Of course. Please have a seat Bella." He motioned toward the table and followed me across the room. I sat at the end of the table with Gibbs on my right hand side. Director Vance sat down to me left with a manila file folder. It had my name on the tab.

"So, Bella." His dark eyes pierced into mine as he opened the folder in front of him. What was this? A performance evaluation or something? I wasn't due for another month.

"I understand you hold a masters degree in criminology and sociology. Is that correct?"

I glanced at the folder briefly. Was he questioning my resume now? I felt myself getting defensive at his implication.

"Yes sir. I graduated last year, right before I started working for NCIS." I thought I saw Gibbs' mouth twitch. My tone may have been a bit sharper than intended. Oops.

"Tell me about your thesis." Director Vance leaned back in his chair and tapped his long dark fingers on the table.

My thesis? Why the hell would they want to know about that? Besides that, there was a copy in my file I was sure. It was a required part of my application for employment. On the other hand, at least this was a topic I was comfortable with. They weren't questioning my job performance, so there was no reason to worry. Right?

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my legs. I looked back and forth between the gentlemen sitting at the table and pushed my hair back behind my ear before starting in.

"My thesis was written on the inner workings of the escort service business. I studied an escort service and spent a lot of time with the employees, figuring out the motives behind their chosen profession. I wanted to know how they had gotten into the business and why. Also, how they feel about themselves and why they stay with the job. Of course, there was much more to it than just that. It was a fifty page paper." I motioned to the file, letting them know that I was well aware that there was currently a copy of my thesis sitting right there in front of us.

"Was speaking with the employees the extent of your research?"

I swallowed thickly. He had read the paper. He knew the answer already. And yet, he was going to make me say it.

"No sir. I worked for the service that I was researching for one month as part of my research. In that time I went on several…dates. A few of the men I escorted were aware of my research project and agreed to be interviewed for the paper as well. Strictly anonymous, of course."

My arms twitched. I wanted to cross them over my chest defensively. I knew better, though. I was sitting in a room with two of the largest power players in the game. I couldn't show weakness. I forced myself to relax back in to the leather seat.

"What do you know about Edward Masen?" Gibbs spoke up for the first time since I had stepped in the room. The monitor in front of the table lit up and there was a picture of a man, tall, auburn hair sticking out every which direction, green eyes burning a hole in the screen.

My mind flashed back to a notice that had been sent out over a month ago.

"Not much, really. He's the only son of Carlisle Cullen. Carlisle was in the top ten watch list for terrorist activity, specifically arms dealings, up until a month ago when he was allegedly killed in a plane crash off the coast of Mexico."

Gibbs nodded his head in agreement, obviously satisfied with my answer. Gibbs and Director Vance shared a look. I watched as they seemed to share a silent conversation. When I couldn't take the silence anymore I cleared my throat.

"May I ask what this is all about?"

They went back to their silent conversation and I debated just standing up and leaving. But, you know, I have no intention of committing career suicide, so I stayed put.

"Bella, you have been selected for an assignment."

Surely I heard him wrong. An assignment? Like a real field assignment? No freaking way! Out of the corner of my eye I saw Gibbs shaking his head and looking down at the table. Apparently he wasn't happy with the Director's decision.

"We believe Edward Masen is taking over the family business." My eyes glanced up at the screen as Director Vance continued. "He's going to be in town this weekend. We believe he's meeting with some of Cullen's associates."

I nodded my head in understanding, but still not seeing where I would fit in to all this. What did they want from me? All I do is file paperwork and evidence. How is that supposed to help with anything?

"Masen has requested an escort for Friday evening."

Oh. Oh!

Fuck me!

He has got to be kidding me. It had to be some kind of a test, right? To see if I would be willing to do anything for my job or something like that?

My eyes darted between Gibbs and Vance. Vance was watching me expectantly. Gibbs was glaring at Vance.

The look on Gibbs' face was what convinced me. This wasn't a test. It wasn't a joke. He was completely serious.

"You want me to go undercover, as an escort to Edward Masen?" I had to say it out loud. I had to know if I had connected the dots correctly. And I had to see if hearing it out loud would change the Director's mind. Maybe he hadn't realized what exactly he was asking of me.

"You do realize that in the entire time that I've worked for NCIS, I've never been out of the basement, save for today. Right?" I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the table. My foot started pumping agitatedly.

"Agent Swan. You are more than qualified for this assignment. You have the training. You have the knowledge. You can certainly look the part."

My eyes narrowed at his comment. I can look the part? Of an escort? Of a high class prostitute? Gee, thanks.

"You have three days to prepare, and my team will be there with you every step of the way." Gibbs was watching me with that little smirk on his face. I had a feeling he knew exactly what I had been thinking moments earlier.

"Gibbs, this is strictly need to know."

"Yeah, and my team will be there as back up, so they obviously need to know." Gibbs stood and waited by my chair until I stood up to follow him.

As soon as we had left the office I felt light headed. No way in hell that just happened! I just got my first field assignment! I forced air in to my lungs and one foot in front of the other. I still had Gibbs walking beside me. I couldn't show any weakness yet. Soon enough I could escape to my car and scream as loud as possible. Or pass out. You know, whichever came first. 

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><p><strong>Okay, so like I said, I'm just playing around with this one for now. Let me know if you think I should keep going with it.<br>Thanks for reading!**

**mezy**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** **So I know I said this story would be mostly Twilight, but we have to get to that point first. Don't worry, we will get there. Soon, I promise.**

**Also, this chapter didn't exactly go where I had intended it too, but sometimes that happens.**

**I'm going to try to have a weekly posting schedule if life allows, and yes, I'm still working on That Moment too. I won't let it die, I'm just waiting for inspiration to hit before I write the next chapter.**

**I'm posting this one without beta's or pre-reading, so any mistakes you find are mine alone. **

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><p>I followed Gibbs down to the bullpen. I was vaguely familiar with all of the agents on Gibbs' team, since I had been filing their case reports for the last year.<p>

There was Tony DeNozzo, of course. He had a reputation for being a bit of a playboy. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes and charm in spades. Not that his charms had ever been directed towards me, nor would they ever be. I mean, I consider myself to be pretty, but my looks are more of the girl-next-door variety. DeNozzo would go more for the runway model type. It's okay. I'm good with that. I know who I am and I'm comfortable with that.

Ziva DaVid is beautiful, exotic, and completely lethal. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the scariest member of the team. I had read enough of the case reports to know that you never wanted to be on her bad side. My plan was to steer clear of her as much as possible.

Then there was Timothy McGee. He was the only member of the team that I had actually interacted with in the office. From what I knew of him, he was super nice and probably one of the smartest people I had ever met. I loved watching him and Abby working together in the lab. I often wondered why the two of them had never gotten together. I mean, it was so obvious that they belonged together. Although Abby had told me more than once that he liked me. I don't know what she was talking about. I certainly didn't see it.

As we entered the office area, every member of the team stopped what they were doing and stared at us. Or stared at me, rather. Ziva watched me carefully as I walked past her desk. DeNozzo smiled at me, like, really smiled at me. Gibbs smacked him upside the head as he walked past. McGee raised his eyebrow at me in question, probably wondering what the hell I was doing out of the basement.

"Ziva, take Agent Swan down to the gym and work on self defense techniques. DeNozzo, McGee, I want everything you can find on Edward Masen."

No one moved for a long moment. It wasn't until Gibbs barked out a "Now!" before everyone moved into motion at once.

I followed Ziva to the gym. So much for steering clear of her. Thanks a lot Gibbs.

Despite my apprehension, training with Ziva went fairly well. It had been six months since my last self-defense training and I was grateful for the refresher course. Plus, Ziva was seriously kick ass. She showed me some techniques that I had never seen before that worked well with my strengths. By the end of the day I was sore, but felt much better about defending myself if need be.

As I stood in front of the mirror brushing my hair out, she sauntered over to the counter next to me and watched with narrowed eyes.

"Tell me about the assignment."

It was a straightforward enough question. Okay, not a question, more like a demand. However, the director had said need-to-know, and I wasn't really sure how much to divulge. I bit my lip as I tried to think. Maybe it was a test, to see if I could follow orders. I certainly didn't want to fuck up my first assignment before I ever even left the building.

"Gibbs wants me to make sure you are prepared. I can't do that if I don't know what to prepare you for."

Of course her logic made perfect sense.

"It's undercover, yes?" She raised her eyebrows, obviously getting annoyed at me silent treatment. My inner voice tried to convince me that she was trying to help and I could use all the help I could get.

"As an escort." I nodded to myself. Her eyes widened momentarily before narrowing again and sweeping my body from head to toe. I shifted under her gaze, not really used to be appraised by a woman like that. Or really by a man either. Like I said, I'm not the type of woman that makes people stop and stare.

"Tomorrow we will have a busy day. I will pick you up at eight o'clock." She nodded to me with finality and turned on her heel to leave before I even acknowledged her words. Apparently I was spending the day tomorrow with her as well. Great. Oh God...I hope she wasn't expecting girl-time or some shit. I don't do girl-time.

I finished brushing out my hair and threw my stuff in my locker before heading back upstairs for the briefing. McGee and DeNozzo had finished their research. Time to go find out exactly what I had gotten myself into.

McGee's eyes locked on me as soon as I stepped out of the elevator. DeNozzo looked up moments later and smiled that cocky half smile of his.

"I see you survived the survival training, Swan. I'm impressed."

I smirked back at him, secretly thrilled that he was flirting with me. However, when his eyes darted to McGee then back to me, I knew he was only doing it to give Tim a hard time. Oh well, two could play at that game.

"Don't worry about me Tony. I'm a lot tougher than I look." I smiled and looked up at him through my lashes before winking at him. He froze momentarily, just long enough to show me that I had hit my mark. What? I'm not a beauty queen, but I can flirt with the best of them. I giggled and flipped my hair over my shoulder. As soon as I was facing away from him I rolled my eyes so both Ziva and McGee could see. Ziva snickered and McGee seemed relieved. I really shouldn't encourage him or lead him on. Cute as he may be, it just wasn't going to happen.

Gibbs walked in just then holding his cup of coffee.

"Tell me what you got." He instructed and the team jumped into action.

McGee was up first. He pushed a button on the remote and a picture of Edward Masen appeared on the plasma. It was the same picture the director had shown in his office, and again I felt my breath catch in my throat. The man was absolutely lick-able.

"Edward Anthony Masen, age thirty two years, daughter of Elizabeth and Captain Edward Masen. His father died when he was five years old. His mother remarried to Carlisle Cullen five years later."

He clicked the remote again and another picture of Edward Masen lit up the screen, this time it was a military ID card. Masen in army fatigues. My heart rate picked up as soon as I saw it. I mean seriously, swoon.

"He joined the army right out of high school and served six years in the middle east. He took full advantage of the military benefits, earning a bachelor's and then a master's degree in business management and computer science. After graduating he started a small but successful software business from the ground up."

Another picture clicked on the screen. This time it was a man with impossibly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked like a statue. An evil statue. Just looking at the picture sent a shot of cold dread down my spine.

"Carlisle Cullen," Tony stepped up, grabbing the remote from McGee's hand. "Former owner and CEO of Cullen Industries. Ten years ago he began buying up struggling import businesses and breathing new life into them. Two years ago an anonymous tip to Homeland Security launched a massive investigation into the business activities surrounding Cullen. He was placed on the no-fly list and terrorist watch list. He was suspected of smuggling guns and other weapons into the hands of terrorist groups around the world."

The case file flashed on screen and I found myself trying to read the letters on the page, though I couldn't see them clearly enough from my vantage point.

"He was apprehended in Europe and was being transported back to the United States for questioning. He never made it, though. The plane crashed into the ocean, killing every one on board."

"After his step-father's death, Edward Masen inherited everything, including Cullen Industries." McGee took over again and showed another picture on the screen. It was Masen again, this time with two other men in what looked to be a heated discussion. "These two men are Emmett McCarty," he pointed to the large man to Masen's right. "He's Masen's first cousin and only remaining living relative. And this one is Jasper Whitlock. He was Cullen's right-hand man. There wasn't anything that happened at Cullen Industries that Whitlock didn't know about. He's also on the watch list."

"Friday night he's meeting with both of these men and an Aro Volturi. He was Cullen's business partner for many years and may try to make a power play for the position vacated by Cullen when he died."

The picture of Aro Volturi made my skin crawl. His hair was long and white, his skin was pale, his eyes were dark. It wouldn't have surprised me to see fangs sticking out of his mouth. Creepy. A sickening feeling invaded my stomach as I looked at his picture yet again.

Friday night Masen will be meeting with this man. Friday night I will be accompanying Masen as his escort. Ergo, Friday night I will be meeting with this man. My stomach churned and I had to will myself not to vomit.

"Are you okay?" I felt a hand on my arm and I looked up into Tim's concerned face. I shook my head and smiled a very small smile.

"Yeah, I just...that guy creeps me out. I'm not looking forward to meeting him."

His eyes darted to the screen, to the creepy eyes of Aro Volturi, and back to me again.

"Why would you be meeting him?"

"Swan will be at the meeting, as Masen's...date." Gibbs answered.

McGee's hand tightened around my wrist and his eyes widened in shock. I gently extricated my arm from his grasp and patted him on the shoulder.

"Tomorrow Bella and I will not be in the office. We have some preparations to take care of." Ziva nodded in my direction and I swallowed thickly.

"What kind of preparations?" Tony asked, waggling his eyebrows and causing Ziva to laugh and Gibbs to smack him upside the head.

"The kind that women have to make before such an important date, of course."

I could feel my cheeks blushing in embarrassment even as the next words spilled out of my mouth.

"Ziva, please tell me we aren't doing like mani's and pedi's and bikini waxes and all that girly shit. Please!" I was begging her, but seriously, I'm not a girly girl. Get over it.

"Well, _we_ aren't, because _I_ am not the one that has been hired as Edward Masen's escort for Friday night."

I groaned and threw my hands over my face. It was my worst nightmare. Please, anything but the spa! I couldn't take it. Even though my eyes were covered, I could immediately feel the shift in atmosphere in the room. I looked up to see McGee staring at me in shock and Tony and Gibbs sharing a silent look.

"You...you can't be serious boss." Tim's eyes never left mine as he muttered the words to Gibbs. Immediately I remembered my last conversation with Abby where I told her that she was crazy, Tim had never acted like he liked me. Now as he stared at me, I could see it in his eyes. His concern and his incredulity.

"What's the matter, McGee? Don't think I can play the part?" I raised my eyebrow at him and dared him to answer that question.

"Okay, so we have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Let's get out of here and some dinner. What do you guys think?" Tony was trying to break the tension in the room. He did succeed in distracting us anyway. We gathered our things and left, each going our separate ways.

When I finally got home, I let the enormity of today wash over me. My first assignment. An apparent friendship with Ziva. Realizing that Abby had been right all along.

It still pissed me off that McGee didn't seem to think that I was up for the assignment.

You didn't think you were up for it either, remember? I told myself over and over. Yeah, well, I didn't think I was ready for it. But I am. I know I am. And some small part of me wanted McGee to know it too.

I pulled out my cell phone and found his name in my contact list.

_Please be excited for my first field assignment. _

I didn't have to wait long before my phone chimed back at me.

_I am. Just worried that it's to much to soon._

I know. He's sweet. It's sickening really.

_I was a cop for six years while I put myself through college._

I mean seriously, I didn't get hired for my good looks. Well, I never thought that anyway, but after Director Vance's comment about me looking the part of an escort...maybe it did have something to do with it? Nah. I worked my ass off to get where I was today.

_Really? Did you ever have to go undercover as a prostitute?_

I did, actually, but that was still a low blow. I narrowed my eyes and glared at the phone. What the hell was he insinuating anyway? I started typing out twenty different snarky comments, but deleted them all. Instead I searched through my documents and emailed him a copy of my thesis.

_A little bedtime reading for you McGee._

I went to the kitchen to grab something to drink when I heard the phone chime again. Hm. That was fast. I bet he didn't even look at it.

_What will you do if he wants more than just dinner?_

I stared at the phone, willing the words to disappear. Please God, tell me he did not just ask that question. My mind returned to the picture of Edward Masen displayed on the plasma screen and a delicious shiver ran down my body.

_Do you have any idea how long it's been since the last time I got laid?_

I hesitated a minute before sending it off. He's asking the questions. He shouldn't ask if he doesn't want to know the answer. Right?

I stared at the phone for a good five minutes waiting for a response. I finally convinced myself to get off the couch and started cleaning my apartment up. If Ziva were going to be there first thing in the morning, I didn't want the place to look like a pigsty. I dusted and vacuumed, washed the dishes in the sink and put them away. Then I started some laundry and decided that was enough for the night. Besides, I was starving.

I picked up my cell phone to order some sweet and sour chicken and I noticed the message light was blinking. I opened my missed message and heard myself gasp as I read the message from McGee.

_Maybe you should fix that problem before Friday night. _

Holy crap. He was actually flirting with me through text messaging. I wondered briefly how far he would be willing to push it as I typed my response.

_If it were that easy to fix, I would have by now. Trust._

This was so wrong. I shouldn't be flirting with him when I knew I wasn't attracted to him. Still, I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips when I thought of what his face would look like when he read the text. His eyes would bug out and he would swallow thickly. He would probably run his hands through his hair as he debated how to respond, or if he should respond.

Then I imagined opening my door and finding him standing on the other side, grinning at me. He'd step closer to me and I wouldn't move back because the intensity in his eyes would keep me rooted to my spot. He would move my hair out of my eyes gently and lean down to brush his lips against mine.

The sound of my phone beeping snapped me out of my daydream. What the fuck was that? Was I seriously just daydreaming about McGee? Yes. Yes I was. And I have the wet panties to prove it. Great. I shook my head quickly to clear the image before opening the text and reading it.

_Do you want to meet me for dinner? I'm thinking Chinese._

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><p><em><strong>AN:<strong> **Okay, so I got quite a few story alerts for chapter 1, but only 2 reviews? I will never understand how some authors get hundreds of reviews per chapter. :( Come on guys, show me some lovin'. Even if it's just to tell me you love it or hate it, let me know what you're thinking. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks to everyone that is reading and have put this story on alert. I'm having fun writing it, so hopefully you all are enjoying reading it too.**

**Again, this is being posted without beta reading. Mistakes are my own. Also, I don't own any of it.**

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><p>I sat at the table with my foot tapping nervously. I had changed my mind about this at least twenty times. What exactly did 'dinner' entail? Was it just food with a friend? Was he going to consider this as a first date? Was he even going to show?<p>

I scanned the crowd for the twentieth time and finally breathed a sigh of relief as I watched Tim walk through the front door. His eyes met mine and he smiled as he made his way over to the table. He was wearing blue jeans and a white long-sleeved pullover. I had never seen him dressed so casually, but I liked it. A lot. I should have said no to this, right?

"Have you been waiting long?" he asked as he sat down opposite of me.

"I live like a block away, so I got here pretty quickly." I assured him. Even though I had been waiting for a good fifteen minutes.

The waitress took our order, and we spent the next two hours talking. I was amazed how much we had in common, but at the same time just how different we were too. We talked about the novels he had written, and the fanfiction stories that I had written. We both agreed that Star Wars was better than Star Trek any day of the week. He was more into video games than I ever was, but then again I was more of a math nerd than he was.

We probably would have kept talking all night, but the waitress kicked us out at closing time. Honestly, it was the best date I'd ever been on, and I still wasn't even sure it was a date. As we left the restaurant, he insisted on walking me home. Because you know, I'm a defenseless girl in the big bad city. I rolled my eyes at him, but allowed him to walk me to my apartment any way.

"Bella, you know I didn't mean to imply that you can't do the job, right? I mean when we were talking earlier?" He leaned in close to me and locked his eyes on my own as we stood outside my door. The keys jingled gently in my hand as I moved to place them in the lock. "I just don't want to see you in any danger. You know?"

I flipped the key in the lock and the door swung open slowly.

"I know McGee. It's okay. So do you want to come in? For some coffee or something?" I willed my voice not to shake, although I wasn't quite sure which made me more nervous, the idea of him saying yes, or the rejection of him saying no.

"I probably shouldn't." Despite his words, he stepped closer to me. I could feel the heat radiating off of his body he was so close. I remembered my daydream from earlier and I thought to myself the real thing was so much better. His face was so close to mine, his lips barely six inches away. I felt my breath catch in my throat at his proximity.

"I didn't ask if you _should_ come in. I asked if you _wanted_ to." I bit into my bottom lip, waiting for him to make a move one way or the other.

"I want to, Bella. Trust me, I want to." The low tone of his voice sent shivers down my spine.

I looked up at him then through my eyelashes and gave him a small smile. His lips met mine forcefully, like he had been holding himself back and then suddenly the tether broke. My hands immediately wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer.

He gripped my waist as his tongue darted in and out of my mouth. Our mouths moved together perfectly. It was passionate and raw and when he pulled away I was left wanting more. He rested his forehead against mine as he caught his breath.

We didn't say anything, we just stood there wrapped in each others arms until he leaned down and kissed me again. This kiss was slower, gentler, but held the same passion, the same desire as the first. His hands spread out across my back as he kissed me.

My mind was completely empty. I couldn't think of anything except the feel of Tim's hands on my body and the taste of his lips against mine. His right hand slid up under the hem of my shirt. The skin on skin contact as his fingertips brushed against my back felt so good, I involuntarily moaned into his mouth. Loudly.

The sound seemed to snap both of us out of it and back to reality. I became aware of the fact that I was making out with him in the hallway in front of my apartment. Tim seemed to realize it at the same moment because he snatched his hand back from under my shirt like it had gotten burnt or something and took a step back away from me.

His sudden absence made me gasp for air. He was definitely to far away from me now. He ran his hands through his hair and started pacing back and forth in the hallway. He looked kind of like a caged animal.

I cleared my throat so he would stop and look at me.

"So do you want to come in now?" I leaned back against the door jam and looked up at him through my eyelashes, biting down on my lower lip. He closed his eyes and shook his head no.

"No, Bella. I can't." He sighed deeply. "Not tonight."

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but at the same time it was only our first date, right?

"Maybe next time." I smiled so that he knew I hoped there would be a next time. "Good night, Tim. Thank you for walking me home."

He sighed in relief and stepped closer to me, once again putting his hands on my waist and pulling me towards him.

"My pleasure. Good night, Bella." He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine gently one more time before stepping back and waiting for me to step inside and close my door.

I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to sleep that night because I'd be worried about my assignment. In truth, I never even thought of it all night. That was the first night that I dreamed of Tim McGee.

I woke Thursday morning before my alarm feeling refreshed, happy even. The thought of spending the day at the spa with Ziva didn't even deter my good mood. I dressed casually for the day, wearing khaki cargo pants, a brown sweater, and my brown boots.

True to her word, Ziva was at my door at exactly eight o'clock. She appraised me carefully before giving me a knowing smile.

"Somebody had a good night last night, yes?"

I felt my cheeks warm as a blush spread across my face and my bit my lip nervously.

"Yeah. So, um, you ready to go then?" I hoped that would keep her from asking any questions. She merely raised her eyebrows and turned to lead the way down the hall.

Have I mentioned how much I hate the spa? By the time lunch rolled around, my opinion of it hadn't changed at all. I had been dipped in mud and waxed from head to toe. My fingernails and toenails were clipped, shaped and painted a dark red color. My hair was trimmed and styled. I felt like a Barbie doll being passed from one person to the next, all with the purpose of trying to make me look beautiful. I wanted to tell them they were wasting their time, but I knew it was pointless to argue. Plus, NCIS was picking up the bill, so I tried to just relax and enjoy it. I tried, that doesn't mean I succeeded.

When we left the torture chamber, I mean the spa, I figured we would head back to the office. No such luck. The next stop on our trip was the mall.

I love shopping, and I love trying on dresses. Especially high end dresses that I know I will never own because I refuse to pay that much for my clothing. But again, NCIS was paying.

I must have tried on fifty different dresses before we found the right one. Standing in front of the mirror, I had to agree with Ziva. I looked amazing. In fact, I didn't look like myself at all. It was a dark brown, wrap around dress that fell a few inches above my knee. The fabric on the top crossed over my breasts, dipping low in the middle and displaying my C cup cleavage perfectly. The sleeves ended right above my elbows and the back was lace from my neck to my waist. We paired the dress with brown knee high boots. I talked her out of the stilettos. Me and heels don't really mix, so we went for the three inch blocky heel instead.

The effect was amazing.

"Holy Hell. I get to keep this, right?" I asked her as I watched myself in the mirror.

"I'm sure you're boyfriend would love that." She laughed.

My thoughts immediately went to Tim and the reaction he would have when he saw me in this outfit. Then I realized that he would be seeing me like this. Tomorrow night. When I'm with Edward Masen.

Fuck.

"Yeah," I whispered. "I'm sure he'll love it."

Ziva gave me a funny look, like she was trying to figure out what I was thinking, so I shook my head and smiled at her.

She let the matter drop and I changed back into my regular clothes. We made it into the office as most people were clocking out for the day. As we walked into the bullpen, we could hear Tony giving Tim a hard time over something.

"Just drop it, Tony, okay?" I could hear the agitation in his voice as we turned the corner. His eyes flicked to mine briefly before returning to his computer screen.

"What are you dropping?" Ziva asked Tony with an amused look on her face. She had told me how she loved listening to these two argue like they were brothers or something.

"McGee got lucky last night and won't give me any details."

Tim's ears turned bright red and he hid his face in his hands.

"I did not...ugh...it's none of your business Tony." I bit my lip to keep from laughing, until I saw Ziva narrow her eyes and look from me to Tim and back to me again.

"What?" I asked, as innocently as possible.

I swore she could see right through me, but she didn't say anything. Just gave me that knowing smirk of hers and turned to her desk.

The rest of the evening was spent going over strategy for the following night. I would be wearing glasses that had a camera and a transmitter in them, so the team would be able to see and hear everything that I was seeing. I would also be carrying a bug and a GPS transmitter in my purse to place in his hotel room and luggage. My primary objective was to observe and plant the transmitters, nothing else.

We ordered take out so that we could continue working. It was amazing to see the team working together. They anticipated each others moves and finished each others sentences. I felt like an outsider at first, but by the end of the evening, I felt like maybe there was a place there for me, too. It felt good, like maybe I belonged with these people.

It was nearing midnight before we left NCIS. We all walked out together, but as we entered the parking garage Gibbs held me back. He wanted to tell me that he thought I was ready for this, but that I needed to know my limits. If I felt uncomfortable in any way or thought that my cover had been blown I had to give the signal and get myself out of there immediately. Hearing him tell me he thought I was ready was a relief. I wanted to prove myself, and Gibbs' opinion was one of the most highly regarded in the department.

Also, a little known fact was that Gibbs had served with my father in the Corp. Knowing that he trusted me to do this, meant that my father would have been proud of me, too.

Our talk was cut short as he got a phone call. Whoever it was, he wasn't very happy. He got in his car and tore out of the parking garage. I laughed to myself thinking that I didn't want to ever be on his bad side.

I realized that as we had been talking, the rest of the team had left. I was alone in the garage. My feet echoed on the cement as I started walking towards my usual parking spot. I reached into my purse for my keys, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized my car keys weren't in my purse, and my car wasn't in the garage.

I pulled out my cell phone, at least I hadn't left that at home today too, and I called the only person I could think of.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Tim answered the phone on the second ring.

"Yeah, so funny story, I didn't actually drive myself to work today."

There was a pause on the line as he tried to figure out where I was going with this.

"Okay." He wasn't getting it. Some investigator he was.

"Did you know that my key card won't open the after hours lock on the door?" I didn't know that myself, actually. Until now. When I tried to unlock the door and it wouldn't work.

"Are you still at work?"

"Yeah, everybody left while Gibbs was talking to me, then he took off out of here like a bat out of hell. Can you come pick me up? Please?" I was giving him the puppy dog eyes, even though I was well aware that he couldn't see me through the phone lines.

"I'm on my way."

Five minutes later he was pulling to a stop in front of me. I hated to think of the speed limit laws he had broken to get back here that fast.

"Thanks McGee." I settled into the front seat of his Charger and closed my eyes. "This has been such a long day. I just want to go to sleep."

"Tomorrow will be even longer you know." I could feel his eyes on me and I swallowed deeply. "Are you ready?"

I nodded automatically. I had to be ready, it wasn't really a choice.

We drove the rest of the way to my apartment in silence. I figured he would just drop me off and be on his way, but no. He insisted on walking me to my door. I didn't invite him in this time, though. Instead I opened the door and went inside, leaving the door open so he could follow me. I heard him sigh deeply before stepping through and closing the door behind him.

"You do look amazing today Bella." He murmured in my ear as his hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me back against his chest.

"Just wait until tomorrow. You won't even recognize me."

He pushed my hair back over my shoulders and leaned down to gently kiss my neck right behind my ear.

"You'll still be beautiful, I'm sure." He continued kissing my neck as his hands rubbed small circles against my thighs. I lifted my arms behind my head and tangled my hands in his hair, pulling him closer to me. Tingles were spreading out across my body and I could feel the wetness spreading between my legs. I turned to face him and captured his lips with my own, moaning deeply as his tongue caressed mine.

Somewhere in the back of mind I knew that we needed to stop. It felt so good to be in his arms, though. I wanted him. Every part of him. More than I had ever thought possible. I could feel how much he wanted me, too. The proof was pressed against my stomach. His hands dropped down from my waist and spread across my ass, squeezing gently and eliciting another moan from me.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" He practically growled as he lifted me up and set me on the table. I was breathing hard, trembling in anticipation. Did he really think it was only him? I wrapped my legs around his waist and wondered if he could feel how wet I was through the layers of fabric.

His hands had found their way under my sweater and were spread out across my back. His thumbs were rubbing circles against my sides, each one getting closer and closer to my breasts. His lips left mine, kissing and sucking their way down my neck to my collarbone.

I threw my head back and moaned "Oh God, Tim..." as his thumbs finally skimmed over my breasts.

I felt cool air hit my back as he lifted my sweater up.

Just as he had pulled it over my head, though, the obnoxious sound of my phone ringing from somewhere near the front door stopped us both in our tracks.

He jumped back from me quickly.

Reluctantly I went to find my phone. I glanced at the clock and wondered who the hell would be calling me well after one o'clock in the morning.

I didn't recognize the phone number, but I answered anyway.

"I completely forgot that I picked you up this morning! I went back to the garage and you were gone."

I took a deep breath, willing my heart rate to slow down.

"Ziva, it's fine. I got a ride. Don't worry about it."

"You are sure?"

"Yeah. I'm at home right now. Safe and sound. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

I clicked the phone off and took another deep breath. When I turned around, Tim was pacing the floor behind me. He ran his fingers through his hair before stopping and staring at me. The look in his eyes stopped me short. Guilt. Regret. I could tell his brain was working overtime. It was telling him to get the fuck out of there before it was to late.

Understanding spread through my body along with a cold sense of dread. He didn't want this. He didn't want me. Or he didn't want to want me.

I suddenly realized that my sweater was lying in a heap on my dining room floor and I felt very exposed. I folded my arms over my chest, covering up as much as I could.

"I have to go." His voice was barely above a whisper.

I couldn't find my voice, so I simply nodded in agreement. I didn't move as he walked to the door. He turned once, like he was going to say something. Then he just shook his head and walked out the door. I watched from my window as he got in his car and pulled away.

Tears pricked at my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. I would not cry over Timothy McGee. If he didn't want me, so be it. I had the most important job of my life to get ready for. I would focus on that instead.

It was better this way, right? At least I wouldn't have to feel guilty about whatever happens on my 'date' with Edward Masen.

I got myself ready for bed, but was still to worked up to go to sleep. I reached into my bedside table and grabbed my little pink vibe. I started out with one of my tried and true fantasies. To my utter dismay, though, my thoughts kept coming back to _him_. The way my body had felt as he touched me. The passion I had felt as he kissed me.

Ultimately I quit fighting it and let myself imagine what would have happened if Ziva hadn't called when she did. Neither one of us would have stopped. He had already taken off my shirt, it was only a matter of time before we would have both been naked. It didn't take long before I felt my body shaking, tensing and releasing as I pictured him losing control and taking me right there on my dining room table.

Lying in the dark, I finally let the tears fall. Because I knew how perfect it could be.

And I knew that it would never happen. 

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><p><strong>AN: So what do you guys think? Reviews will get Tim's POV on the dining room scene. :o)<br>**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks to everyone that is reading / reviewing! Remember, I have a Tim POV for ch 3. You have to review to recieve! :o)**

**Everyone ready for a little Edward? Okay...here we go...  
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><p>My nerves didn't truly pick up until I was dressed and looking at myself in the mirror. Ziva picked up on my discomfort immediately and demanded to know what was wrong, of course.<p>

"You have done this before, yes?" she asked me. Was she serious? Surely she wasn't asking me if I was a virgin. Of course I've had sex before, Ziva. God. Give me some credit. No sooner had I thought it than I realized she was referring to the whole 'escort' thing. Yeah, I've done that before too.

"That was a little bit different Ziva. I didn't have four people watching my every move and videotaping me while I was there for future reference. No one was judging my every move, you know?"

She laughed at my apprehension.

"I will make sure Tony doesn't watch the good parts." I laughed along with her, though I was thinking that Tony wasn't the one I was worried about.

I had to remind myself that though Tim and I had made out a couple of times, we were hardly dating. In fact, he had made it more than clear last night that he didn't want to be dating me either. It's not like I would be cheating on him or anything. Of course, that didn't mean I wanted him to watch me with a complete stranger either.

Shit. What a freaking mess. Why the hell did I agree to go to dinner with him the other night? If I hadn't gone, none of this would have happened and I wouldn't be worrying about it right now.

I'm not worrying about it right now. There is nothing to worry about. He doesn't want me. End of story. Time to go do my job.

I followed Ziva back to the bullpen and was met by a loud whistle. I looked up to see Tony eying me from head to toe. I felt my cheeks blush at the attention.

"Swan! Check you out!" I rolled my eyes at him and laughed when Gibbs smacked him in the back of the head.

I didn't have to look at Tim to know that he was staring at me too. I could feel his eyes on me. Yeah, well, eat your heart out McGee. You had your chance.

It was finally time to go. I had all of my equipment. I had keys to a rental car, and I felt like I was as ready as I was going to get.

I would be meeting Edward Masen at his hotel room at seven o'clock. During the drive, I forced myself to remain calm. I couldn't afford to get there and be all nervous. I had to be confident. In control. By the time I arrived I had successfully convinced myself that everything would run smoothly, exactly to plan and that I was completely ready for this evening.

When I knocked on the door at three minutes till seven, I was ready, relaxed even.

The door opened to reveal a man that definitely was not Masen. He was tall and stocky with short brown hair and dimples. His blue eyes twinkled as he looked me over.

"Mr. Masen?" I asked him, though I already knew the answer.

"No, I'm Emmett McCarty, and you are?" He held out his hand in greeting.

"Marie. It's nice to meet you Emmett." I smiled as I let his large warm hand encompass mine.

"Please come in. We're just about ready to go." He opened the door wider and stepped aside so I could walk past him into the hotel room.

Honestly, it didn't look like a hotel room. My apartment would have fit in there at least two times over. Past the entryway there was a large living area, complete with a big screen television, a leather couch and a dining table. To the right was a wall of windows. All of the curtains were drawn at the moment, but I imagine there was quite a view of the city from up here. To the left were two doors, which I assumed led to separate bedrooms.

Emmett disappeared into one of them, leaving me alone. I took the opportunity to place one of the bugs in the flower arrangement on the dining table.

One down, two to go.

A few moments later, Edward emerged from the other bedroom. The pictures hadn't done him justice. He was tall and lanky, but I could see just a hint of the muscles that were hiding under his clothes. His green eyes were breath-taking. I just knew I could get lost in those eyes only too easily. His auburn hair had been smoothed down and it didn't look natural. My fingers itched to mess it up the way it should be. He was wearing black pants, a blue shirt and a black and blue striped tie that all matched perfectly.

I felt my heart rate quicken at the sight of him, but it was a short lived reaction. Clearly this attraction was one-sided. _Aren't they always?_ He barely even looked at me. He merely glanced in my direction, completely disinterested and knocked on Emmett's door.

Emmett emerged from his bedroom and was followed out by a beautiful blonde. She saw me and smiled and I was left wondering what the hell was going on.

"So Edward, this is Marie." Emmett gestured to me. Edward glanced in my direction again, giving me a longer disinterested glance this time. Nice. Note to NCIS, next time you need to send an agent in to seduce a suspect, pick an agent that the opposite sex actually finds attractive. I tried not to roll my eyes at my own internal dialogue.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you. We need to go or we'll be late." He turned and left the room, apparently expecting the rest of us to follow.

What the fuck?

There was a car waiting for us downstairs. Edward took the keys from the valet. Emmett and the blonde bombshell sat in the backseat. I sat in the front. Next to Edward. Who never even looked my direction the entire drive to the restaurant.

When we arrived we were taken to a table immediately. There was another couple already sitting there, waiting for us. I recognized the man as Jasper Whitlock. He was accompanied by a tiny woman with sparking eyes and short black hair.

"Edward, Emmett, good to see you again." He rose from his seat to shake hands with each of them. "Ah, Rosalie, as lovely as ever." He addressed the blonde as he lifted her hand to his lips. Then he turned his eyes on me. I felt a cold chill spread through my body as he looked at me.

"And who is this beautiful woman?" He looked at Edward as he asked. Masen looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Sorry Jasper. This is Maryann, Maryann, Jasper Whitlock."

Maryann? Really? He hadn't even paid attention to my name. Classy, dude.

"Pleased to meet you, Jasper." I didn't bother to correct him. Really, what was the point?

"I'm Alice." The woman with Jasper introduced herself. "I love your dress!" She added with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back at her. She just seemed so warm and open.

I sat between Rose and Edward. We were joined a few minutes later by Aro Volturi and his wife Heidi. He was even creepier in person than he had been in pictures. Again, I didn't correct Edward when he introduced me as Maryann. Whatever.

"Emmett and I have been going over the books and we have a few questions. There are quite a few transactions that aren't adding up." As Edward started the conversation with the men at the table, Rose got my attention. I figured I didn't really need to be listening since every word was being recorded and analyzed anyway, so I leaned over and listened to Rose and Alice.

"Edward is under a lot of stress right now. He'll come out of it." So she had picked up on his disinterest too. Nice. That meant right now I was the laughing stock of the team. What a freaking disaster.

"It's his money." I said as I shrugged. Maybe he really did just want someone to sit next to him at dinner so he wouldn't be the odd man out.

"Actually, it's not." She smiled at me. "He's been so stressed with work and everything. We figured he could use some…distraction, you know?"

Oh. Crap.

"Rose, are you telling me that you and Emmett hired me for him?"

She giggled as she shook her head.

"And he has no idea, does he?"

"Nope. He thinks you're a friend of mine."

Great. So now I'm an NCIS agent, pretending to be an escort, who is pretending to be on a blind date with a man that doesn't even know he's on a blind date. Wonderful.

"Rose, I hate to break it to you, but I really don't think he's interested." I looked over at him skeptically. He was sitting right next to me, but I might as well have not even been there.

"Psh. Don't worry about it. Once dinner is over he'll be back to his usual charming self."

She turned then to Alice and started discussing Hollywood gossip. I tuned them out and focused on the food on my plate. Why is it that the more expensive the restaurant was, the more disgusting the food looked? I would kill for a pizza right about now.

I paid enough attention to the conversation to know that there was no love lost between Edward and Aro. Jasper seemed to be on Aro's side, though. That would make sense. They had worked together for years. Edward and Emmett were the newcomers after all.

I wondered if they had any idea what actually went on at Cullen Inc. Did he have any idea that the lost shipments he was referring to were actually illegal arms shipments? My gut was telling me no, he didn't.

Aro and Jasper both left quickly after dinner. I'm pretty sure they left together, actually. Secretly I was hoping Gibbs had someone tailing them. They gave me the creeps.

The rest of us stayed at the table and ordered dessert. I noticed that Edward hadn't eaten any more of his food than I had. Rose and I chatted as we ate the chocolate mousse. Edward and Emmett whispered in hushed tones about the meeting. I couldn't make out what they were saying, so I took my glasses off, folded them neatly, and set them next to my plate. That way the microphone would be closer to them and hopefully Abby could pick up what was being said. And they would have a lovely view of the ceilings through the camera.

When he had finished eating, Rose and Emmett left, claiming that they wanted to go sightseeing. What the hell? Who goes sightseeing at night anyway? I rolled my eyes when I saw her wink at me.

"Very subtle, Rose." I mumbled to myself.

"Subtlety has never been Rose's strong point."

I jumped slightly in my seat at the sound of his voice so close to my ear. When I looked up at him, he was smirking at me.

"I don't know about you, but I would die for a slice of pizza right about now. What do you think?"

My eyes widened in surprise. He was reading my mind. He had to be.

"Pizza sounds fantastic." I smiled at him, but it wasn't a real smile. Rose was right; he was turning on the charm. It didn't matter, though. He had made it clear he had no attraction towards me. I just happened to be the one pawned off on him this evening. Whatever. That's what I was here for anyway, right? Might as well use it to my advantage.

I stood and made my way to the front of the restaurant. Have I mentioned yet how freaking clumsy I am? And who the hell thought it was a good idea to put a little three inch step down from where the table was sitting? I took three steps from my seat and suddenly the ground fell out from under my foot. I felt myself falling forward. I braced myself for the impact of my face hitting the floor.

It never happened. Instead I felt very strong, very warm arms wrap around my waist. He caught me before I could fall.

"A little bit tipsy?" he laughed into my ear. A shot of electricity ran through me at the feel of his breath against my neck.

"No. Just a little bit clumsy." I laughed. I turned my head to look at him. His green eyes met mine and what I saw there took my breath away. Intensity. Desire. Desperation.

How dare he! He does not have the right to look at me that way after the way he has treated me all night.

I stood there probably longer than I should have, searching his eyes for some indication of why he had been ignoring me for the last two hours. His arms were still wrapped around my waist. I felt so warm, so safe. I had to remind myself that he was the subject of a federal investigation. Definitely not a good guy, and even more definitely not safe.

"You can let go any minute now." The sound of my voice seemed to startle him and he shook his head briefly. Then he smiled the most breath-taking crooked smile I had ever seen. He did not, however, take his hands off my waist.

"You are absolutely gorgeous." He whispered in my ear. Ah. This must be the Masen charm that Rose warned me of. Did he really think he could just ignore me all evening, give me one compliment and I'd be putty in his hands? Ha! Not likely, Dude.

"I'm glad you finally noticed." I put just enough snark in my voice to get his attention before turning and walking away from him. He caught up to me easily and placed his hand on my lower back as we left the restaurant.

His car was already waiting out front for us. He opened the door for me and waited until I sat down before closing my door and walking around to the driver's seat.

"Dinner tonight was extremely important, for more than one reason. I could not afford to be distracted or to show any weakness." He turned to look at me then and I felt the full intensity of his gaze on me. A thrill of energy shot through my body and straight to my core.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking that I haven't noticed every square inch of your beautiful body tonight, Marie."

Damn. He was good. I'll give him credit for that.

"I also noticed that you didn't eat a bite of dinner, you paid enough attention to the conversation to be polite, but not enough to be rude. You didn't participate in Rose and Alice's gossip, and you didn't like Aro or Jasper in the least."

I admit it, I was shocked. How the hell did he know all of that? He never so much as looked at me.

"Am I right?" He smirked at me again.

"That's amazing." I smiled at him. "Here I thought you didn't even know my name."

He laughed then.

"I'm not as clueless as some people seem to think I am."

I could sense the seriousness underlying his tone. I started thinking that maybe he was talking about me. Did he know who I really was? Did he know that I was a federal agent sent in to spy on him? He had picked up on so many things without me even realizing he had been paying attention. Maybe he did know. Maybe my cover was already blown.

I didn't let myself panic. I convinced myself that he was probably talking about Aro and Jasper, not me. He wouldn't really have any reason to suspect me. Right?

"Come on. I'm starving. Let's get something to eat." I looked up and realized we were at a small pizza place off the beaten path. I had been so deep in my thoughts that I hadn't even paid attention to where we were going. As soon as I looked at the sign, though, my stomach dropped.

It was a small pizzeria called The Flying Pizza.

It was right across the street from my apartment. 

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><p><strong>AN: Ack! What do you guys think? Does Edward know?<br>**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I know it's been forever. Thank you all for sticking with me. Two weeks till Spring Quarter is over and I'll have more time for writing. I am not giving up on either of my stories, so hang in there.  
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><strong>Again, posting is without a Beta, so any mistakes you find are mine.<br>**

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><p>On the outside I was calm and collected as we walked to the front doors. Inside, I was terrified that someone would recognize me and blow my cover. Well, one person in particular. Jacob Black, ex-boyfriend and owner of The Flying Pizza. <em>Please, God, do not let him be working tonight.<em>

We sat side by side in a small circular booth in the back corner. The table was dimly lit and there was music playing loud enough that no one would overhear conversation not meant for them.

"So Marie, tell me a little about yourself. What do you do for a living?"

Hmm. That was a loaded question. 'Marie' was an escort, but he didn't know that now, did he? So how to answer? I guess sticking close to the truth would be best.

"I file papers all day. It's not very exciting." I laughed a little because, well, it was the truth. "What do you do for a living, Edward?"

"I run a computer software company. Now I guess I run an import-export business too. I inherited it from my step-father." His eyes darkened at the mention of his step-father.

"I'm sorry for your loss." I smiled gently at him. I got the feeling Carlisle Cullen was a sensitive topic for him.

"Don't be. The world is better off without him. The man was a complete and total asshole, not to mention incompetent. If I didn't know better I would swear he faked his own death just so he wouldn't have to deal with his clusterfuck of a company anymore."

His mood had only gotten darker. I wanted to lift his spirits back up.

"Faked his own death? Really?" I raised my eyebrows and smiled at him. "Does anyone really do that? It just sounds so, I don't know…eighties. You know?"

He cracked up laughing, which made me laugh in return. I've been told I have a strange sense of humor and a lot of people just don't get it. It's nice to hear him laughing along with me though. He gets it.

"So Edward, do you have a wife or a girlfriend that I need to worry about?"

"No. I had a girlfriend until about a month ago. Jessica." He fiddled with the label on his beer for a minute before continuing. "I was out of town for Carlisle's funeral. I got back a day early and found her with Mike fucking Newton."

Oh. Ouch. That was always the worst kind of break up. I will never understand why someone doesn't just break it off with their significant other if they are unhappy. What good is sleeping around going to do? It certainly won't make your relationship any better.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"He worked for my company. He was one of my best designers."

Past tense, I noticed. Obviously not one of his employees anymore. That tells me a lot about the man sitting in front of me. Most importantly it tells me that he values loyalty. I can respect that.

"So what about you?" He took me off guard with his question and I gave him a questioning look that clearly said 'what about me?'

"Do you have a husband or a boyfriend that I need to worry about?" He clarified with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes.

My thoughts immediately jumped to Tim. What was he thinking right now? Listening to our conversation? Was he jealous at all? No, probably not.

"No. I don't have anyone." My voice sounded melancholy even to my own ears. It's no surprise he picked up on the change in my disposition almost immediately.

"Recent breakup?" He asked me cautiously. I fiddled with the label on my beer bottle, trying to decide what exactly to tell him. Honestly it wasn't any of his business. But then again, he had just told me about catching his girlfriend with another man, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell him a little of what had happened, right? Plus, it had been on my mind all day and I felt like I needed to tell someone. Momentarily I forgot that at least four other people were listening to my conversation at that very moment.

"Recent realization is more like it." I sighed deeply and took a deep breath. "There was this guy. A friend of mine kept insisting that he liked me, but I didn't believe her. You know, I'm not that girl. The one all the guys fantasize about."

"I find that highly unlikely." He smirked at me. I felt the blush creeping over my face. This guy was good, I'll give him credit for that. He certainly could turn on the charm when he wanted to.

"Anyway he finally worked up the nerve to ask me out and I said what the hell, right?"

I paused in my story to take a drink. I could feel his eyes on me. Not just Edward's. I could feel Tim watching me in that moment. I briefly wondered if the rest of the team would think I was making this all up or if they would know it was all true.

"It was probably the best first date I've ever been on. We talked and laughed and stayed at the restaurant till it closed and they kicked us out. He insisted on walking me home. We kissed, well, we made out really. Right there in the hallway in front of my apartment."

"In the hallway?" He was staring at me in slight amusement. I guess he thought it was funny. I didn't, but I smiled at him anyway.

"Yes, in the hallway. He didn't want to come in." I could have sworn I heard him mumble something that sounded like 'moron' under his breath.

"So the next night I got stranded at work. It was late and I didn't know who else to call. He picked me up and drove me home. He came inside with me. We started kissing, making out again. Then the phone rang."

I paused again and took another drink. His eyes were curious though he didn't ask me any questions. I was acutely aware that his fingers were now rubbing small circles against my upper thigh.

"You answered it?" He finally asked into the silence.

"When you grow up with a father that is a cop, you learn to answer the phone anytime it rings after midnight. No matter who is calling. This time around it wasn't an emergency. Just a friend checking to make sure I had made it home alright.

"I figured we would just pick up where we left off, you know? But when I turned back to him he had this look on his face. It was like pure disgust and disbelief. I don't know what the hell he was thinking, I just know he really didn't want to be there with me. He couldn't possibly have gotten out of there faster if the fucking building had been on fire."

Oh my God. I can't believe I just told him all of that. I took a shaky breath and a drink. Why didn't I order something stronger? Oh yeah, on duty, need to keep a clear head, yada yada yada…

"You have no idea how desirable you truly are, do you?" He hadn't moved, but he suddenly felt so much closer to me. His hand on my thigh was inching it's way closer and closer to my core. I felt my heart beat pick up at the intensity of his eyes, which were staring right at me.

"Don't be fooled Edward. This, this isn't me." I motioned to my clothes before smiling back at him. "The dress, the hair, the nails. My friend had to literally drag me to the spa I hate it so much."

"Remind me to thank her. You look amazing." This time he did scoot a little closer to me. The atmosphere between us had changed. I could almost feel the energy crackling between us. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

I wanted him closer. I could feel tingles spreading across my skin as his fingers skimmed over my thighs. I wanted more. I wanted him to want me. Is that really asking to much?

I didn't dare look into his eyes. Eyes are to telling. They will almost always tell you the truth and right now I didn't want to know his truth. I didn't want to know if he felt sorry for me. I didn't want to know if he was attracted to me. All I wanted to know was the feel of his hands on my body and his lips moving against mine.

I had to get a grip. I was letting him get to me. None of this is real. I just had to keep reminding myself of that. I needed to step back and regroup.

"Look at me _bella donna_." He gently tilted my chin in his direction. His proximity surprised me, he was no more than a breath away. That wasn't what made me gasp though.

"What did you call me?" My eyes snapped to his. This time, I needed to see his truth.

"_Bella donna_. It means 'beautiful woman' in Italian."

The sound of my name rolling so easily off his tongue sent a bolt of heat directly to my core and filled my body with dread at the same time. Not for the first time that night, I found myself wondering if he knew who I really was.

His lips brushed against mine. My hand instinctively circled his neck and pulled him closer. He kissed me deeper as his hand slipped beneath the hem of my dress and skimmed against my bare skin.

"Come back to my hotel room with me." He practically growled in my ear. I grinned to myself. I had him right where I wanted him.

"I thought you would never ask." He kissed me again, taking my breath away.

A voice behind me made me jump, startled.

"Sorry folks, this is a family restaurant. You need to take it somewhere else." Reluctantly Edward let me go, but I was still frozen in place. Because I knew that voice. What the hell was he doing in here?

"We were just leaving anyway, weren't we?"

I nodded and gathered up my belongings. Slowly I turned in my seat to see him. He was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt and looked very much like he worked at The Flying Pizza. I knew better, though, of course. His eyes locked onto mine for just a brief second and he tilted his head towards the bathrooms in the back infinitesimally before walking away from our table.

"Why don't you go on and take care of the bill. I need to go to the ladies room real quick before we leave." Edward seemed to be completely oblivious to the exchange that had just happened. He wasn't even looking at me, he was getting his credit card out of his wallet.

"Okay. I'll meet you up front then." I nodded at him and grabbed my purse.

The ladies room was located down a long, dark hallway. I could feel every nerve ending in my body tingling as I opened the door and walked in. He was standing behind the door, waiting for me.

"Tim? What the hell are you doing here?"

"This guy is way to close for comfort, Bella. We need to call this and get you the hell out of here. Now." Was that jealousy in his eyes? It couldn't be. He was just doing his job, that's all.

"I can't leave yet. I still have two more devices to plant. Which I'm on my way to go do right now." I turned to leave but his arm around my waist stopped me. He pulled me back against his chest and I was immediately reminded of last night in my apartment.

"He brought you to a restaurant right across the street from your apartment. And he called you Bella. He knows. We need to get you out."

He was right. I had the same thoughts myself. But I had a job to finish. Surely he knew that. And Gibbs trusted me to do the job.

"Did Gibbs send you to pick me up?" I took my glasses off and folded them in my hand, purposefully covering the camera and the microphone with my palm. "Or did you come because you don't want me in Masen's hotel room?"

His lips against my neck answered my question. He was jealous. He did want me.

"Yes Gibbs sent me, and no, I don't want you anywhere near his hotel room." His arms tightened possessively around my waist as he whispered into my ear. "And for the love of God, I did not leave last night because I didn't want to be with you. I left because I had been given specific orders to stay away from you and let you do your job."

I took a deep ragged breath and forced myself not to sink back into his warmth. I did not need this right now. Not while I'm in the middle of the most important assignment of my life. Not when I knew I had to leave this bathroom, leave Tim's arms, and walk willingly into the arms of another man.

"Then let me do my job, Tim. I'm not finished here."

It took every ounce of willpower that I had to pull away from him. I straightened my dress and put my glasses back on.

"I'll let you guys know if I need help."

With that I left the ladies room and returned to the man that may or may not be involved with illegal arms shipments, and who may or may not know my true identity as an undercover NCIS agent. 

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><p><strong>AN: Please review! I would love to hear your thoughts. <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I have to tell you guys, I love the response that I've gotten to this story. Please keep reading and reviewing. I don't always respond, but I read every one and love them.  
><strong>  
><strong>Okay, so last chapter Bella and Edward were headed back to his hotel room. Fair warning - I hate being predictable. So let's see how many of you didn't see this one coming...<br>**

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><p>The bedroom in Edward's hotel room was absolutely gorgeous! The walls were a creamy beige color with chocolate brown trim. There was a king-sized bed against one wall with a wooden carved headboard and a brown patterned bedspread. Along the opposite wall was a matching wooden dresser with a beautiful attached mirror. In the corner there was a desk with a leather office chair. The back wall was all glass and held a sliding glass door that lead out to the balcony. There were heavy brown curtains hanging off to the side.<p>

My eyes swept the room and calculated the best place to set the listening device. Behind the mirror looked pretty good to me. I laid my purse down on the dresser so it would be close to where I needed it to be when the time was right.

Edward's arms wrapped around my waist and he nibbled on my ear. I watched in the mirror as his hands wandered across my stomach and down my thighs. Belatedly, I realized that the team would also be seeing every move we made through the camera in my glasses. I closed my eyes as his hands drifted over my core, sending a wave of heat through my body.

I turned in his arms and captured his lips with mine. He kissed me deeply, his tongue caressing mine as his hands roamed across my body. When the kiss ended we were both panting heavily, gasping for air.

His green eyes were staring at me, drinking me in. He made me feel beautiful and desirable. Though a part of me knew that it wasn't real, another part of me wished that it was. He kissed me again and lifted me up on the edge of the dresser. I wrapped my legs around him and moaned loudly as he pressed his very hard manhood against me.

His hands drifted down to my knees, then skimmed across my thighs, inching their way up my skirt.

I'm pretty sure my brain stopped functioning at that point. All I could think about was his hands on me, his lips on me, and his hard cock between us. In the back of my mind I could hear a small voice telling me to slow the fuck down. I had a job to do, and though this was a means to the end, should I really be enjoying it this much? No, probably not. This man was possibly in arms trafficking and an enemy of the state. I should definitely not be enjoying what his tongue was doing to my neck. Or his fingertips which were lightly rubbing across my lace panties and needed to move…just a little bit…to the left.

"Are you sure about this?" He whispered in my ear, sending a chill of anticipation through my body. Was I sure? Fuck yes. I pulled his lips back to mine and kissed him. His fingers gripped my thighs as I pulled him as close to me as possible.

"I need to hear you say it, baby. Out loud." He had pulled away just long enough to ask me again if I was sure before his lips met mine yet again. When he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine, his eyes were a deep, dark green and were full of lust and desire. Just seeing them directed at me sent another wave of heat through my core.

The sound of his cell phone ringing startled both of us. He ignored it and kissed me again. Whoever was calling was not going to be ignored, though. It rang again, only seconds after the first call.

"Fuck." Edward muttered under his breath as he reluctantly pulled away from me. "I'll be right back, just…hold that thought, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere." I smirked at him as I leaned back on the dresser and crossed my legs in front of me. He ran his fingers through his hair, sent me another smoldering look and picked up the phone. When he glanced at the caller ID, a dark look passed over his face and I had to fight the urge to ask him what was wrong or who was calling. It's not like he would confide in me anyway, right? I'm not his girlfriend or anything like that. At best I'm a one night stand.

He took his phone and stepped out in the living area, closing the door behind him. Perfect. I quickly took the listening device out of my purse and placed it behind the mirror. The GPS tracking chip was the last device I had to plant. I couldn't hear Edward's conversation, so I had no idea how much time I had. The closet was on the other side of the room, but his wallet was lying on the dresser next to me.

I made an executive decision and slipped the GPS tracking chip into one of the folds in his wallet, then laid the wallet right back where I had found it.

I stared at myself in the mirror. My skin was flushed and my lips were slightly swollen from kissing Edward. I knew the team could still see me so I winked at them before taking the glasses off and folding them carefully, stowing them in my purse. The listening device had been placed and activated. They would be able to hear everything that happened from here on out anyway. They didn't really need to see it too, did they?

As far as I was concerned, mission accomplished. Now I had a choice, either have a little fun with Hotward, or get the hell out of dodge. Hmm. Tough choice.

The bedroom door reopened and Edward walked in slowly. His entire demeanor had changed. Whatever that phone call had been, it wasn't good news. The vibe coming off of him was almost creepy. I found myself looking for a way out if need be.

"Is everything okay, Edward?" I found myself asking him, even though it was none of my business one way or the other. His eyes snapped to mine, almost as though he had forgotten I was even there. I gasped as his eyes met mine. They were no longer filled with lust and desire; they were now filled with barely controlled rage. Instinctively I took a step backwards, though there was nowhere for me to go. He was between me and the only door out of the room.

"Marie. Let me ask you a question. How did you and Rose meet?" He stalked closer to me and watched carefully as my eyes widened at his question. Shit.

"We met through work." Not a lie. His eyes narrowed and he took another step closer.

"How is that possible? Rose is a mechanic on the west coast. You file paperwork all day on the other side of the country. Explain."

Fuck me. He knows. Somehow he knows. What exactly does he know, though? Does he know I'm an undercover agent?

I sighed deeply and covered my face with my hands for a moment, then took a deep breath and pushed my hair behind my ears. Don't give over any information about NCIS.

"I have a second job, Edward. I should have told you earlier, but I didn't think you would understand."

He shut his eyes and his hands balled into fists at his side. I took another step backwards. Something told me he wasn't going to take this well.

"People, usually men, hire me to go places with them. You know, weddings, reunions…business dinners."

His eyes snapped open and he surged forward, forcing me back against the wall. My hands rose protectively in front of my chest, but he grabbed both of my wrists and squeezed them as he pinned them above my head.

His eyes were burning into mine. I was still trying to catch up to what was happening. My wrists were burning where he held them, my fingers tingling from the loss of blood flow. But I was frozen. I couldn't react. His complete turnaround had shocked me.

"Someone hired you for tonight, Marie? Is that what you're telling me? Who? Jasper? Aro?"

A wave of disgust washed through me just at hearing their names. Why would he think one of them had hired me?

"I'm curious now, baby." He said it with a sneer that sent a cold chill down my spine. "What exactly did they hire you for? Huh?"

I shook my head 'no' at him, because I wasn't sure what he was asking, and because those two assholes didn't hire me at all. I opened my mouth to tell him just that, but he didn't let me speak. He covered my mouth with his and kissed me hard.

He kept my arms pinned above my head with his left hand. His right hand dropped down to hold my face steady.

"So how does this work, Marie? Do you get paid by the hour? Or by the fuck?"

My eyes widened in horror as his hand found the sash around my waist. He pulled it loose and my wrap-around dress fell open.

"Stop Edward!" I finally found my voice as his hand grabbed my breast roughly. "Rose hired me for a business dinner. That's all."

I held my breath and pled with my eyes that he would believe me. His eyes softened slightly, as did his grip on my wrists. He dropped his right hand from my breast to my waist and held me firmly. Like I was even trying to get away from him? I should have been, but the way he had me pinned it was hopeless.

"When dinner was over I could have just had you drive me back to my car. I _should_ have let you drive me back to my car and just gone home." His fingers dug into my waist and I flinched.

"Rose hired you to go to dinner?" His words were careful, controlled. "Then she left you at the restaurant with me." Calm descended over him as he muttered to himself. "It fits with what happened."

His eyes met mine again. They seemed calmer and almost relieved. He leaned his forehead against mine and took a deep breath.

"Edward." I kept the tone of my voice level, even though my fear had quickly been replaced by anger.

"Hmm?" He didn't even open his eyes and look at me; he just continued taking deep breaths. Asshole.

"You need to let me go now, Edward." Again, keeping my voice level, even though I had no feeling left in my fingers and his other hand was digging into the bare skin at my waist almost painfully.

His eyes opened and he looked at me. He stared in shock at the sight in front of him, as though he hadn't even realized that I was half-naked and pinned between him and the wall this whole time. I knew the exact moment when realization of what just happened dawned on him. The color drained out of his face and he let go of me and stepped back swiftly. His hands covered his face and he muttered to himself.

"Oh my God. What the fuck did I do?"

As soon as my hands were free I started rubbing them together, trying to get the blood flowing again.

"Are you okay?"

Was he kidding right now? Am I okay? Seriously? My eyes narrowed and I shot him what was meant to be a death glare.

"I'm fucking peachy." Yeah right. Honestly, I was fucking pissed, mostly at myself for letting him get the best of me and not fighting back when I had the chance.

"I am so sorry, Marie." The remorse was evident in his voice, but it was way too little too late.

"Save it Masen. I'm out of here." I wrapped my dress back around where it belonged and grabbed my purse. I didn't look back as I slammed the door behind me.

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><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

She was fucking pissed off. Really, she had every right to be. I was an asshole and I probably hurt her, but I had to make sure she hadn't been sent to kill me. According to my sources I was now on Aro's hit list.

My instincts had told me she was hiding something, but I had ignored it. Why? Because she was beautiful and sexy, soft and delicious. I didn't want to know what she was hiding. I just wanted her. This is what happens when you think with your dick.

Fuck.

Just thinking about her had me hard as a rock. Maybe I should get Emmett to track her down. If I could just explain it to her, she would understand. Right? Right. How would that conversation go?

"Hey Marie, sorry I freaked you out and hurt you. I just had to make sure you weren't hired by my business partner to kill me. Do you still want to fuck?" Yeah, I don't think so. I settled with jerking it in the shower while I remembered the feel of her body against mine.

Even then, she wouldn't leave my mind. All night I dreamt of her. Her laugh. Her smile. Her eyes. Her lips. If I hadn't gotten that phone call, I would have had her. She would be mine right now.

Then I remembered the look on her face. The fear and the anger in her eyes as I held her against the wall. At the time I had felt justified in my actions, but looking back on it… What the hell did she think? She wouldn't have understood. She doesn't know who I am or why my life would be in danger. For her, we were making out one minute and the next I had her pinned to the wall and was ripping her clothes off.

I barely made it to the toilet before emptying the contents of my stomach.

I had to find her and apologize. No matter what her reaction might be, I had to at least try.

I joined Rose and Emmett for breakfast, and of course they wanted to know how everything had gone with Marie. Rose was less than pleased when I told her the outcome of the evening, and she was not happy at all when I asked her for the number of the escort service that Marie worked for. How else was I supposed to find her?

I called to leave a message for her, but was discouraged when the operator informed me that they had no one named Marie working for them.

"So, she didn't give you her real name. It's no big deal. You need to just forget about her and move on. We have work to do." These are the words of advice from Emmett. Dumbass. If it was that easy to forget about her, I wouldn't still be thinking about her now would I?

"No. We need to find her. Pull up the video from dinner. See if we can get a good picture of her." He rolled his eyes at me, but did as I asked.

When the image came through, I caught my breath. My memory hadn't done her justice. She was absolutely breathtaking.

"Alice is on her way up. We're going shopping." Rose warned us and we turned the computer monitor off quickly. Alice was a whirlwind, but she didn't miss much.

Rose opened the door and Alice waltzed in without invitation. To my great surprise, Jasper followed her through the door. They were both looking around the hotel room, trying to appear not to be. Alice did much better with the subtlety than Jasper did, I must say. He was obviously looking for something. Or someone.

"Jasper. I wasn't expecting you this morning. You aren't going shopping with the girls, are you?" Emmett's voice boomed through the room and brought Jasper's attention back to us.

"No, of course not. I was just dropping Alice off and thought I'd stop in and say hey."

Alice was talking excitedly to Rose, but suddenly stopped mid-sentence and turned around in a circle.

"Where's Marie? I thought we could take her shopping with us."

"Yes, where is Marie? I was looking forward to seeing her again." Jasper smiled and I had to fight the sudden urge to punch him in the face. What the hell?

"She's not here. She had to work today." I had no idea what she had to do today or where she was, but it sounded like a good excuse to me. Jasper looked disappointed and Alice looked like I had just kicked her puppy.

"I guess I'll just have to let you tell her then. We're going to a private resort in Mexico this week and you're all invited to come. It's a couples resort, though, so Edward you have to make sure Marie can make it, okay? You two are just too cute together." She was all smiles as she bounced up and down excitedly giving us her news. My heart dropped to my feet. First, I had no idea where Marie was or how to get hold of her. Hell, I didn't even know if Marie was her real name. Second, I would never knowingly put her in danger like that, and Jasper's intentions were obviously less-than-admirable.

"Alright Rosie, you and me in Mexico baby!" Emmett and Rose were on board. Great.

"You know Alice, Marie and I are hardly a couple. We just went on one date." I needed to find a way around this.

Alice's eyes twinkled as she pulled an envelope out of her purse.

"Nonsense, Edward. You two are perfect for each other." She handed me a stack of pictures. The first one was in the restaurant after everyone else had left and we were sitting at the table together. The next was as we were leaving the restaurant and she tripped, I had caught her. Then there was one in the pizza parlor and we were kissing. Another picture of us entering the elevator in the hotel lobby, my hand on the small of her back as we walked.

"You were following me." It wasn't a question. Fucking hell. I had been so caught up in Marie that I hadn't even realized I was being followed.

"Our plane leaves at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I suggest all four of you be on it." Jasper's threat was not lost on me. He kissed Alice good bye and left the room.

Alice went right along as though nothing had happened and grabbed Rose up in her little mini cyclone. Soon they were leaving to go shopping and Emmett and I were left to figure out what the fuck to do next.

Find Marie. That's what we needed to do next. Find Marie by two o'clock tomorrow, or Jasper will.

I grabbed the first thing I could get my hands on, which happened to be a flower vase, and threw it against the wall.

"I'll start running facial recognition. See if we get a hit. Why don't you check with big brother? See if he can help us out here."

Emmett was right. We couldn't just sit on our asses and expect her to come to us. It was time to call in reinforcements. I hit the speed dial on my phone. It was listed under Uncle Eff. Mainly because I was only supposed to call his number if I was fucked.

He didn't answer and I didn't expect him to. I did get his voice mail though, so I left the standard 'hey, I'm fucked' message. He would totally get it.

"Hey, it's Edward. Let's have lunch. Eleven thirty sound good? I'll see you there." 

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><p><strong>AN: So show of hands, how many of you were surprised? And how many are pissed that Bella got cockblocked again? Yeah, me too. :o)<strong>

**The good news is I almost have chapter 7 done, so the next update should be within the next week or so. Hang in there and let me know what you think. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: * * * I'm thinking that notices for chapter 6 didn't get out to everyone. Chapter 6 updated last week, so if you didn't get the notice last week, please go back and read chapter 6 before reading chapter 7. Thanks! * * ***

**I'm happy to say that my schedule has slowed up somewhat, and I've actually been in the mood to write, so you didn't have to wait very long at all for this chapter. :o)  
><strong>  
><strong>Big thanks to Yenny for pre-reading and feeding my ego on this chapter. LOL.<br>**  
><strong>Again, I don't own any of it. I just have fun playing with it. *hehehe*<br>**_  
><em>

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><p><em>Bang. Bang. Bang. <em>

What the hell was that noise? And was my phone ringing? I reached over blindly and hit the silence button on the damn phone. Who in God's name was calling at this hour anyway? Wait a minute. What time is it?

I opened my eyes blearily and focused on my alarm clock. Fuck. It was almost noon.

_Bang. Bang. Bang_.

"Open the damn door, Swan, or I'll break it down."

Ugh. Why is DiNozzo threatening to break down my door?

"Yeah, I'm coming." I rolled out of bed and instantly regretted moving. My head was pounding and my stomach lurched drastically. I had to steady myself before moving slowly towards the door.

I managed to get to the door just as he started pounding on it yet again. I fumbled with the door lock and swung the door open. He was holding two cups of coffee in one hand and his cell phone in the other.

"Boss, she's alive. Just opened the door. Although, the living dead might be more accurate. You aren't going to try to eat my brains or anything, are you?" He laughed at his own joke as he pushed his way past me into my apartment. "We'll be there in a half an hour."

I rolled my eyes as I closed the door, which just made my head hurt worse. I turned around to face him and he was looking me up and down, really taking in my appearance. The laughter left his face and his eyes hardened.

I realized then that I was wearing nothing more than a thin sleep tank and shorts.

"Actually, better make that an hour." He snapped the phone shut and put the coffee down on the table. "Did you have a rough night, Swan?"

"I came home and got wasted. It seemed like a good idea at the time, DiNozzo. Why are you here? It's Saturday, and my part in this investigation is over." I took the coffee from him and went to the kitchen to get some aspirin. This is why I don't drink. Usually.

"Do you do that often?" He followed me into the kitchen and was standing a little closer than I felt comfortable with. I should go get dressed.

"Do I do what often? And why are here?"

"Drink alone." He picked up the empty vodka bottle off the counter and threw it in the trash can.

"No. I don't drink very often at all. I'm going to ask you one more time, what the fuck are you doing here?"

We were standing only inches away from each other. I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to answer my question or not, when he finally smiled at me. The smile didn't reach his eyes, though.

"Seems you made quite an impression last night." He said finally, not that that really answered my question, it only served to raise more questions. Like what the hell is that supposed to mean?

"Why did you decide to drink last night? To celebrate your first assignment?"

What was with all of his questions? I lifted my hands to my face and ran them back through my hair. Suddenly his hands were on my arms. He held my hands up in front of me and inspected them carefully.

"Or were you trying to forget that it happened?" My eyes followed his to my wrists, to the purple bruises that circled them. I pulled my hands away from him and pushed away from the counter.

"I'm going to take a shower." I mumbled as I left the room.

The shower felt good and served to wash away some of my hangover. When I got dressed I made sure to wear a long sleeved shirt that would cover the bruises on my wrists. I also pulled on blue jeans and my brown boots. It's Saturday and DiNozzo never did tell me why he was here or where we were going, so I wasn't going to wear anything special. I brushed my hair out and let it air dry around my shoulders.

Tony was talking on his cell phone when I emerged from the bedroom. He quickly ended his call and snapped the phone shut. He didn't look very happy, but when his eyes met mine he smiled.

"That's much better. You ready to go?"

I rolled my eyes at him as I picked up my purse and my cell phone. I had about twenty missed calls from Tony, Ziva, McGee, and even Gibbs had called twice.

"What the hell? Why am I Miss Popular all of a sudden?" Tony didn't answer me, he just opened the door and ushered me through.

When we got to the office he bypassed the bullpen altogether and went straight to the Director's office.

"Tony, wait." I held his arm and forced him to look at me. He had one hand on Director Vance's door handle. "You would tell me if I'm about to get fired, right? Just as a friendly head's up?"

I was begging him with my eyes. Please do not let me walk into that room blind. He smiled at me, that friendly smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and my stomach dropped. This was it. My career was over.

"As far as I know, you aren't being fired, Swan. But I honestly can't tell you anything that will prepare you for what's about to happen. Just take a deep breath and be ready for anything, okay?"

Be ready for anything? What the fuck? Tony DiNozzo should be awarded with a medal in cryptic, I swear to God.

I narrowed my eyes at him and took a deep breath.

"Thanks a lot DiNozzo."

He opened the door and held it for me to step through.

"Agent Swan, nice of you to join us today." Director Vance was sitting at the head of the conference table and had swiveled his chair around to face me. I could see several other people sitting around the table. I recognized Ziva, Tim and Gibbs of course, but there were also two gentlemen sitting with their backs to me that I could not recognize from my vantage point.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, sir." Of course, if someone had bothered to tell me yesterday that I would be needed at the office today, I certainly wouldn't have stayed up all night drinking and kicking the shit out of my martial arts dummy. Seriously, two aspirin and one cup of coffee were not nearly enough.

Tony guided me around the table to two empty chairs. As I sat down I felt an odd tingling sensation in the back of my head. I felt like I was being watched. I glanced around the table to see who exactly was staring at me only to notice that all eyes seemed to be on me.

I had to do a double take when my eyes fell on the man directly across from me. I knew those green eyes that were currently glaring at me. I felt my eyes widen and I'm pretty sure I gasped audibly. I immediately looked to Gibbs, trying to figure out what I had missed.

What the hell was Edward Masen doing at a conference table in the Director's office?

"Agent Swan," Gibbs said in response to my questioning look, "I would like to introduce Agent Cullen of the FBI."

Our eyes locked across the table. His were resigned and sorrowful. Mine were most likely filled with anger and hatred. Fucking FBI.

Everyone seemed to be staring at me, waiting for my reaction I suppose. Okay, I'm not a very happy camper at this point, but I can certainly play nice. I smiled and reached my hand across the table.

"Agent Cullen, huh? It's a pleasure to meet you."

He smirked back at me and took my outstretched hand. An electric jolt ran through my body as his hand held mine.

"The pleasure is all mine. Agent Swan, is it?"

I nodded at him as I pulled my hand back, then I directed my attention to Agent Gibbs.

"Can someone give me the Cliffs Notes version of what I missed?"

The room was silent for a minute before McGee cleared his throat and started speaking.

"Well, it turns out that we stumbled on an ongoing FBI investigation. Agent Cullen has been undercover for two months as Edward Masen. He is investigating Jasper Whitlock and Aro Volturi in an effort to obtain conclusive proof of their arms smuggling operation, among other things."

"So the FBI's all over it. Does that mean we're out?"

Silence.

I looked around the table to see several pairs of eyes, all avoiding my gaze. It was a simple yes or no question, right?

"NCIS is out, as you put it." Director Vance answered finally. He was having another one of those staring contests with Gibbs.

Tim was tapping his pen on the table. Ziva was watching Tony. Tony was running his hands through his hair. And Edward had his head in his hands.

"Why do I get the feeling that you have more good news for me, Director?" I leveled my stare right into his dark eyes. They were keeping something from me and I deserved to know what it was, dammit.

"McGee, play the tape for Agent Swan."

Tim pushed a button on his remote and the tape started playing through the surround sound speakers in the Director's office.

It was a recording of Jasper and Alice insisting to Edward that I go with them to Mexico next week. The tone of Jasper's voice when he said he was looking forward to seeing me again made me sick.

All eyes were once again on me. Suddenly I realized what this meant. What the Director had meant. NCIS was out of the investigation, but I wasn't. They needed me to go to Mexico for the week with Edward.

"You're sending me to Mexico for a week?" My eyes swept the room and once again no one was looking at me. Avoidance seems to run in the team, I guess.

"You'll be working with Agents Fornell and Cullen for the next seven days. I expect your report on my desk next Monday. Gibbs, you're team did an excellent job. I'll see you all Monday."

Everyone stood to leave. I was still in a hung over haze trying to figure out what the fuck had just happened, so I stayed right where I was. Edward noticed that I hadn't stood up from the table, so he sat back down.

"You're sending me to Mexico for a week, with him?" I asked again, to no one in particular, though my narrowed eyes didn't leave Edward's.

"Is there a problem Agent Swan?" Director Vance asked. Everyone had stopped moving and turned to stare at me again.

"No sir. Everything's just peachy. At least I won't be stuck in the basement filing papers all week, right?" Okay, so my filter had temporarily shut down.

Edward's eyes flashed and the corner of his mouth twitched. Asshole.

I rolled my eyes at him and stood from the table.

"Way to look at the bright side, Agent Swan." Director Vance smiled at me and nodded his dismissal. Everyone in the room filed out the door.

I followed the pack down to the bullpen.

Gibbs and Fornell broke off and went directly to the elevator. Tim, Tony and Ziva went to their desks and started collecting their things. Not one of them seemed to care that I had just been loaned out to the FBI for the week. Of course, they weren't really my team, were they? They were helping me through this assignment, or rather I was helping them with this assignment, and then we were going our separate ways anyway. I had just assumed that my separate way would be right back down to the basement.

I excused myself to go to the restroom. My stomach felt like it was revolting and I hadn't eaten anything since the pizza we had last night.

On my way back from the restroom I heard a scuffle. I came around the corner to see DiNozzo and Edward taking shots at each other. I watched, frozen as Tony punched and Edward blocked, then vice versa. They each got in a shot or two before I spoke up.

"What the hell? Enough!" They both stopped and stared at me. I looked around, but didn't see Ziva or Tim anywhere. Where the hell had they gone?

"What is going on here?"

"Don't worry about it, Swan. I was just letting Cullen here know what would happen if he brings you back with anymore bruises than what you already have."

Fuck. Leave it to Tony to go all big-brother on me. I couldn't resist. I put my arms around him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear.

"We'll be around if you need us."

I didn't know what he meant by that, but the whole exchange warmed my heart. Maybe they saw me as part of the team after all.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted down the hall. Tony and I let go of each other and jumped away as quickly as possible.

"Yeah boss."

"Leave Swan alone. She has work to do." I'm pretty sure Tony would have gotten a head-slap if he had been any closer.

"Right. Got it. So when are we leaving?" Tim and Ziva walked around the corner just as he asked. They waited along with the rest of us for Gibbs to answer.

"_We_ aren't going anywhere, Tony." His eyes rested on me for a moment and that cold chill crept back through my veins.

"We're not sending her there without backup, Boss!" Tim looked like he was going to punch someone.

"I'm her backup," Edward growled from behind me. I turned to look at him with my eyes narrowed. I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him; much less trust him with my life.

"Gee, I feel better already." I let the sarcasm drip through my voice as I glared at him.

The tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. No one moved. No one spoke. We all just kind of stood, staring at each other, stuck in this fucked up situation with no way out. Just looking at the man pissed me off and reminded me of what a huge failure my assignment had been. I had allowed myself to want him. I had believed that he wanted me. He never wanted me, though. He was playing me all along, trying to get me to relax enough to tell let down my guard and tell him what he wanted to know. And I fell for it. Now I had to spend the next week with him, in Mexico, in what I could only assume would be a shared hotel room. Just kill me now. This week was going to suck ass.

I couldn't take the tension and the intensity of the numerous eyes pointed at me. I turned around and walked down the hallway to the stairs. I needed a minute to collect myself and get my thoughts in order. I headed down to the basement and sat at my desk, my head in my hands as I forced myself to take deep breaths. This was going to happen if I was ready for it or not.

The sound of a door closing alerted me to his presence. I looked up from my hands to see Tim walking through the door.

"Go away, McGee." I mumbled into my hands. His steps never faltered. He put his hands around my wrists and pulled gently until I was standing in front of him. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly. I wanted to cry in that moment. I felt so safe and protected. I never wanted to leave his arms.

"It's okay Bella. You'll be fine." He murmured soft reassurances in my ear as his hands rubbed my back gently.

I snuggled deeper into his embrace and as I did so, my lips rubbed gently against his neck. He inhaled sharply at the contact which brought a smile to my lips.

I pressed my lips against his bare skin a little harder. His hands stilled against my back and he groaned quietly.

"Bella…"

"Hmm?" I hummed as I kissed his neck again.

His hands left my back as he lifted them to cup my face, gently pulling me back from his chest and staring deep into my eyes. His thumbs rubbed gently against my temples as we stared into each other's eyes. My heart felt like it was going to beat clear out of my chest as he slowly lowered his lips to mine.

Our previous kisses had all been passionate, frantic even, but they did not compare to this one. Our lips melded together and we held each other infinitely closer. Our tongues caressed each other gently as our mouths slowly moved against each other. My hands slipped around his neck and my fingers dug into his hair, holding him to me.

I don't know how long we stayed like that but when we finally pulled away we were both breathing heavily. He leaned his forehead against mine and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

"This isn't going to work, Bella."

I swallowed thickly and closed my own eyes. I knew it wouldn't work between us. Why did I have to be so attracted to him? Why do I feel the need to touch him or kiss him every time I see him? And why do I feel like my heart's breaking all over again?

"Following orders again, Tim?"

"I had planned on asking you out to dinner tonight." He laughed humorlessly. "I'm starting to think that Gibbs has the right idea with his rules."

Agent Gibbs had about a million rules to live by. Always carry a knife. Never apologize. Never date a coworker. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out which one McGee was talking about.

I took a deep breath and grounded myself before responding to him.

"I understand. Maybe another time." There was no use arguing with him or asking him to change his mind. It was the right decision, even if it did hurt.

"Take care of yourself, Swan." He leaned down and kissed me again. Gentle, soft, but he lingered there. I felt his hands tighten around my waist as he pressed his lips against mine a little bit harder. I could feel the kiss escalating. My fingers itched to pull him closer. But I couldn't. He had made his decision, right or wrong. It took every ounce of willpower that I had to push away from him, breaking the kiss and stepping back several paces until my back was against the wall.

"Goodbye Tim."

He ran his fingers through his hair. Just as he was opening his mouth to say something, the stairwell door opened and slammed shut.

"Hey Swan! You down here?" I looked towards the doorway as DiNozzo walked through, followed by Edward. I immediately crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes. I did not want him in my office. Or cubicle. Or tiny alcove in the corner of the basement. You know, whatever the case may be.

Tony's eyes immediately flashed from me to Tim and back again. I swear you could see the light bulb go on over top of his head. Lot of good it did him. I wondered if should tell him that ship had sailed and he was a day late? Nah. I was going to be gone for a week, it's not like he could give me a hard time about it. And Tim probably deserved whatever DiNozzo gave him on this one.

"McGeek. What are you doing down here?" His grin covered his whole face. It was almost comical. Tim and I both rolled our eyes at him. So predictable.

"I was just telling Bella good luck." I swear his ears were bright red. Good God. We were caught standing in the same room together. Imagine how embarrassed he would have been if they had walked in three minutes earlier?

"Right." Tony gave him a grin then turned to me. "Gibbs wants us to clear out. You need a ride home?"

Oh yeah, Tony had to drag my ass out of my apartment this morning.

"Actually Marie, I can give you a ride. We need to talk about the trip in greater detail anyway."

Edward. It wasn't a suggestion as much as it was an order. He wasn't offering me a ride; he was telling me that he was giving me a ride. Asshole. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and didn't even let my brain think about my answer.

"Yeah, okay. Can we stop somewhere and get lunch? I haven't eaten since that pizza last night." Tim and Tony both stared at me open mouthed. I guess they expected me to continue giving Edward attitude. Honestly, I didn't give a shit who was driving, but if I didn't eat something soon I was going to pass out. Besides that, I had to spend the next week with the man, what was one more afternoon. Right? He was right anyway. I needed to know what he expected of me on this trip.

"By the way, my name is Bella, not Marie." Okay, I had to give him a little bit of attitude. I was still really pissed off about what happened in his hotel room.

I said a quick good bye to Tony and grabbed my purse.

"Bella…" Tim grabbed my wrist as I walked past him. I easily flipped my wrist around and escaped from his grasp, pushing him away from me in the process. He stared at me for a long moment.

"Goodbye Tim." I said it once and for all before walking out the door with Edward.

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><p><strong>AN: So what will happen when Edward and Bella have to go away to a couple's retreat together? Any ideas?<strong>

Reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Just sayin...


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I've been trying to update this story on a more regular basis. Last week was kind of crazy with family illness, the holiday and my anniversary. So very sorry that I didn't update last week. Forgive me? :( For your patience I have a nice long chapter for you. Well, long for me. I'm not one of those writers that has 15,000 word chapters...**

**I don't own the characters, but the plot is all mine.**

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><p>Edward took me to a small bread and sandwich shop for lunch. Considering it was well after three o'clock by then, there was no one else in the dining area and we got our food rather quickly. I ordered broccoli and cheese soup and a turkey sandwich. He ordered a club sandwich and fries. We hadn't spoken since we left NCIS and as we sat eating our food the silence was unbearable.<p>

I had about a million questions running through my mind. Since there was no one around to over hear us, I figured I might as well ask some of them. Right?

"So, Cullen, huh? As in Carlisle Cullen?"

His eyes snapped up to mine for a brief moment before glancing around the restaurant and then returning to his sandwich.

"No relation." He didn't elaborate and went back to eating his lunch. I briefly wondered if he realized just how rude he was being.

"Why is Alice convinced that we're a couple? You didn't say two words to me during dinner last night."

He paused with his fry half way to his mouth and stared at me. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. He set it on the table and slid it over to me.

I flipped through the pictures inside, stopping at the one of us leaving the restaurant. I remembered tripping and Edward catching me. When I turned to thank him the intensity in his eyes had made me pause. For me, that moment had been completely real. I wasn't Marie, an under cover agent trying to complete her mission for the evening. I was just Bella.

The look on my face.

The look on his face.

Wow.

We looked like lovers sharing an intimate embrace.

No wonder Alice thought we were in love after looking at these pictures. There were more, all of them the same. Flipping through the pictures we looked very much in love. I wanted to take them home and frame them and hang them in my living room. How sad is that?

"They were following us last night and neither one of us knew it."

Edward looked at me with an expression that said 'duh'.

"So how do we know that they aren't following us right now?"

He glanced around the restaurant quickly. I rolled my eyes at him. Really? If they were following us, they wouldn't hide in the next booth over. Idiot.

"I guess I don't."

Yeah. That was reassuring.

We continued eating in silence. I was hungrier than I realized I guess because I finished off the sandwich and the soup in no time. Usually I couldn't make it all the way through the sandwich and would end up saving half of it for later. When I finished the last of my soup and set my spoon down I realized that Edward's plate was already empty and he was staring at me. When my eyes met his, he cleared his throat and acted like he was going to say something. Then he stopped, shook his head and opened his mouth again. He did it two more times before he finally spoke.

"So which one was it?" He looked surprised as the words tumbled out, like maybe that's not what he meant to say at all.

"Which one was what?" I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. He leaned back in his seat and stretched his arm across the back of the booth.

"Was it the overprotective DiNozzo, or the computer geek McGee?"

What the hell was he talking about? I was drawing a complete blank. I ran my hands through my hair and tugged the sleeves up on my shirt. It was getting warm in there. Or maybe it was the heat from his eyes. Why was he staring at me like that?

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right. My money would be on DiNozzo. He's got that whole suave, sweep a woman off her feet thing going for him." He stood from the table and threw our trash away, then went back up to the counter to get a refill.

That's okay, I didn't want one anyway. Ass.

My head was still pounding, so I dug through my purse for a couple of ibuprofens while he was gone. I finally found the bottle in the bottom of the inner pocket. I shook two of them into my hand and picked up my cup. My empty cup. Dammit.

Just then Edward returned to the table and set a full cup of sweet tea in front of me. And a huge chocolate chip cookie.

"Thanks," I mumbled to myself, slightly embarrassed that I had been cursing him when he was thinking of me after all.

I swallowed the ibuprofen and took a bite of the cookie. Oh. My. God! It was the most delicious cookie I had ever eaten. And it was still all warm and gooey inside. I'm pretty sure I moaned out loud because Edward started laughing at me.

I started thinking how the cookie was better than sex, or at least better than the sex I had been getting lately, which was non-existent. It had been almost a year since Jacob and I broke up. I hadn't had sex since then. Well, I made out with McGee, and with Edward, but we all know how those make out sessions had ended.

"Wait a minute." Suddenly something clicked in my brain. "Are you saying you think I'm seeing DiNozzo?" My eyes widened at the thought. There was no way in hell I would ever be with Tony. He was way out of my league. Not to mention the whole big-brother thing he had pulled today. I could never see him as anything else after that.

"You did tell me that you were seeing someone that you worked with. I have to assume it's one or the other since neither one of them could keep their eyes off of you today."

Right. Not likely. I rolled my eyes at the thought. I'm sure McGee spent the meeting staring at me. Maybe trying to figure out the best way to dump me. Not that we were ever really together or anything.

"McGee just seems like the type to lust after you from a distance, you know? He probably has pictures of you from the office that he beats off to or something."

I choked on my sweet tea. He did not! Oh my god. I hope that he didn't.

"That is a visual that I really don't need to have." I closed my eyes and covered them with my hand. "And if it's true I never want to know." Just the idea of it was absurd. I couldn't help but laugh. Like any man looked at me that way. Give me a break.

"So that leaves DiNozzo. He hit me because I touched you last night." He snorted and rolled his eyes. Yeah, that was attractive. "Was he not clear as to your objectives before going in?" He was taunting me. And he was a moron. Did he really think DiNozzo was kicking his ass for touching me? Like it was some kind of jealous rage or something? I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Do you honestly think that's why he was hitting you? Because he was jealous?" My words came out sharper than they probably needed to be, but knowing that he had completely missed the point of his ass-kicking pissed me off.

"It couldn't possibly be because you basically attacked me without any provocation at all, could it?" I pulled the sleeves up on my arms and laid them across the table.

His eyes drifted down to my wrists slowly. I could tell the instant he saw the bruising because his eyes widened and his face drained of all color. He shook his head slowly back and forth repeatedly.

"No. I didn't do that." He reached up slowly to trace the lines of the bruises. I cringed when his hand came into contact with my wrist, but I didn't need to. His fingers just barely touched my skin. He lifted my hand up gently and turned it, looking at it from all angles. Then he wrapped his hand around my wrist.

My breath caught in my throat. I was determined not to let him catch me off guard again. What I wasn't prepared for was the tingling sensation that exploded through my wrist and up my arm.

The bruise pattern matched his fingers exactly. As soon as he realized it, he dropped my hand and covered his face. He was mumbling to himself. It would have been comical if I hadn't been so afraid that he would snap again.

"Are there anymore?" His voice was low, gravelly and came out as almost a growl.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and bit my bottom lip nervously. I was calculating my chances to get to the door if I made a run for it. Considering he was sitting between myself and the exit, the chances weren't good. The remorse that I saw in his eyes as they searched my own was my determining factor. I sat back and forced myself to relax.

"Yes." My voice was even. There was no outward appearance of my nerves. I had worked hard to train my body to react the way I needed it to. Right now I needed to appear completely in control.

"You know I didn't mean…"

"Don't, Edward." I cut him off quickly. I didn't need his apology. After all, the bruises were a symbol of my own failure. I let myself get to comfortable with him. I let my guard down. It was my fault. "Don't lie to me and don't lie to yourself. You did mean to hurt me. You saw a potential threat and you neutralized it. It wasn't anything personal. I get that."

I tugged the sleeves back down over my wrists.

He regarded me carefully for a long moment before returning his attention to his cookie. I let my mind wander through the events of the day and I realized that I was leaving the country in less than twenty-four hours. My apartment was a mess and I had no idea what I was packing to go on this stupid trip. These people were richy rich, and my wardrobe consisted of last year's Wal Mart fashion. I was going to look like a Beverly Hillbilly.

"Seriously I have about a million things I need to get finished tonight if we're leaving tomorrow. Are you ready to go?"

We finished off our cookies and left the restaurant.

"Where is your apartment?" Edward shifted the car into gear smoothly and pulled into traffic.

"Remember where we ate pizza last night?" He looked over at me puzzled and nodded his head for 'yes'. "Just go there."

He turned the car in the right direction without a word, but he had a small smirk on his face.

"You live at The Flying Pizza?" He finally asked with a sarcastic laugh. Have I mentioned lately that he's an asshole?

"No, you moron. I live across the street."

He was outright laughing now, and quite frankly I felt like I had missed the joke. What the hell was so funny about where I lived? It was a nice apartment building. Nothing fancy or anything, but still.

"Let me get this straight. I pick a quiet, out of the way place to take you where I'm sure Jasper and Aro will never find us, and you lived right across the street? What the hell did you think when we pulled up here?"

Yeah, okay. It was a little ironic. Maybe just a tad bit funny. I chuckled.

"Mostly I was thinking, well if he keeps being a jackass it's a short walk home." I smirked at him as he laughed a little bit harder. "Then I was just really hoping my ex wasn't working because he's a possessive asshole and would have blown my cover in about two seconds flat."

He pulled the car up in front of my apartment building and turned off the ignition.

"We really do need to talk about this coming week, Bella. Is it okay if I come up with you?"

I had to remind myself that I was preparing to spend an entire week with him. Would one afternoon in my apartment make a difference? Probably not.

"Okay, but you have to talk while I clean. I'm not coming home next week to an apartment that's a disaster area." He laughed before walking around the front of the car and opening the door for me.

My apartment really wasn't that bad. It took me about an hour to dust and vacuum everything. I searched through my dresser for my summer clothes and started a load of laundry. Sure, I considered going to buy new clothes, but I figured if I was being forced to go on this trip I would at least be comfortable while I was there.

As I cleaned and took care of my chores, Edward filled me in on what he had learned so far in his investigation, which wasn't much really. He had suspicions of Aro and Jasper that went beyond smuggling guns and ammunition, but he didn't have any proof. Some of the allegations included kidnapping, rape and murder. He also believed that Alice was in on it, whatever it was, but again, there was no proof. Every time I thought of Aro or Jasper, a cold chill went through my body. I considered asking Edward not to leave me alone with either one of them, but I didn't. I wasn't going to let him know my weakness.

"So, I'm assuming we have some sort of a plan for this week, right?" When I was finally finished with everything but packing I sat down on the couch next to him.

He kind of looked at me like I was crazy. What, the FBI doesn't have a plan before something like this?

"My plan for this week is to keep the two of us alive. End of story. Honestly, I probably won't let you out of my sight for the next week."

I rolled my eyes at him and walked over to the window. While I thought it was a little over the top, it was also kind of sweet as hell.

"Last night not withstanding, I can take care of myself you know. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"What mistake do you think you made?" I jumped a little at the accusatory tone he had used. I knew exactly what I had done wrong. So did he. Wasn't it obvious? I turned and glared at him because he was going to make me say it. I didn't want to say it out loud. I didn't want to admit my failure even though he had witnessed it first hand. His green eyes were sharp as he returned my glare from across the room.

"I let my guard down, Edward. That's what I did wrong." I turned away from him, fighting tears that were threatening to fall.

We stayed silent for a long moment before he crossed the room to stand in front of me. He reached over and gripped my hands softly. Then his fingers began rubbing gently around my wrists.

"You didn't make any mistakes last night. You were absolutely perfect. I fucked up. Don't you see that? If I had just taken you to your car after dinner, none of this would have happened and you wouldn't be in danger right now."

I was starting to remember why I let my guard down around him in the first place. Tingles were exploding down my arms where he was rubbing my skin and when I looked up into his eyes my breath caught in my throat. I could remember to easily what his lips had felt like against mine. I felt myself being drawn to him.

I shook my head quickly to clear out those thoughts. He won't get to me like that again, remember? I pulled my hands away and took several steps away from him.

"So our plan is not to die. I love it. Great plan." My voice dripped with sarcasm but I didn't care.

"I'll see you in the morning then?" I was dismissing him. I needed him out of my house before I did something really stupid like kiss him or something.

"I'm pretty sure I told you that I'm not letting you out of my sight for the next week." He plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.

"How about some dinner? I hear there's a really good pizza place right across the street." He smirked as he started flipping through channels.

I glared openly at him. Why wouldn't he take the hint and leave already? He had told me everything, right? I even knew the master plan, pathetic as it may be. So why was he still here? My eyes narrowed and I crossed my arms over my chest as I realized there had to be a reason that he wasn't leaving.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His words were non-chalant enough, but there was a tension beneath them that told me I had hit close to the mark. He was keeping something from me, and did not plan on sharing.

"Get out, Edward. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep sigh before turning the TV off and facing me.

"I can't leave, okay? Even if I leave your apartment, I'll have to spend the night in the hallway outside. Do you really want me to have to sleep in the hallway?" He gave me his best version of puppy dog eyes, which admittedly was absolutely adorable, but the words behind the eyes gave me pause. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"That didn't answer the question. Why can't you leave?"

"No, it didn't." He sighed again before standing and coming over to stand beside me. He took my hand and led me to the kitchen table where he pulled out a chair for me to sit down. I raised my eyes in question, but sat down anyway. He took the seat next to me and took hold of my hand. His thumbs rubbed gently against the back of my hand. I got the feeling he was about to give me some very bad news and he didn't know how to do it.

"My primary objective for the last two months has basically been to piss off Jasper Whitlock." He finally said. He didn't take his eyes off of our joined hands as he continued. "The idea is to throw him off balance, make him have to make rash decisions – get him to fuck up so we can get some solid evidence against him."

I nodded in understanding. I wasn't sure where he was going with this, but I knew he was fairly uncomfortable talking about it.

"I've been doing my job well. Whitlock hates me. I've made his life miserable, and he would like nothing more than to return the favor."

An icy chill spread through my veins as I realized where he was going with this.

"You think he's going to try to use me to do that." It wasn't a question and he confirmed that it was true with the look in his eyes.

"He thinks that I care about you, Bella. He will use that against me however he can."

Anger boiled up inside me. Anger at him. Anger at myself. Anger at the whole damn situation to begin with. I yanked my hand away and stood quickly, my chair scraping harshly against the floor.

"You _don't_ care about me Edward! Hell, you don't even know me! Why couldn't you just leave me alone and tell them I was nothing more than a one-night stand that went horribly wrong? Which, by the way, isn't that far from the truth."

"I tried that! Dammit, Bella! Don't you think I did everything I could to avoid this? I don't want you anywhere near him. Period! But it doesn't matter. It's to late for that. He's already looking for you. He will find you eventually. At least this way I can be there to protect you."

I looked at him incredulously. He had to be kidding, right?

"To protect me? I don't remember asking you to protect me, Edward! And by the way, you're doing a fabulous job. You know that this guy is looking for me and that he's quite possibly a rapist and a murderer, so what are you doing to protect me? You're gonna take me right to him!"

He turned away from me and stalked over to the kitchen sink, placing both hands on the counter and staring out the window. My stomach dropped as a thought suddenly floated through my mind. It couldn't be, though. It just couldn't be. But what if it was? I was going to be sick. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, trying to control the sudden urge to vomit.

I had to know. One way or the other, I had to know if my suspicion was correct.

"That's the plan, though, isn't it?" My voice was barely more than a whisper. His head fell when he heard me, though. Confirming that I was right. "Your plan is to take me right to him."

I grabbed a jar candle off the table and threw it at him. Okay, not really at him, but in his general direction. It hit the wall and shattered into a hundred pieces. He jumped and spun around to face me.

"You son of bitch," I growled as I turned to stomp out of the kitchen.

"Bella, wait!" I felt his arm snake around my waist. I spun around quickly and brought my hand up, smacking him across the face. He let go of me and stumbled back, obviously stunned by my action.

"Dammit," he muttered, touching his face where I had just hit him. "Would you just listen for a minute? Let me explain."

Explain? What the hell was there to explain? It seemed pretty damn straightforward to me.

"You're using me as bait, Edward. It's not that difficult to figure out." I was seeing red. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was this pissed off. The worst part of it, I almost let myself think he was a good guy. Again. Hadn't I already sworn I wouldn't make that mistake twice? Fuck. I needed to hit something.

Before I realized what I was doing, my fist was flying through the air, aimed right at his face. He barely managed to block the punch and grabbed my arm, twisting it around behind my back. As he turned my body around I used the momentum to elbow him in the stomach with my other arm. I felt myself smirk when I heard his "oomph" as I made contact. He released my arm and bent over to catch his breath.

"I didn't…have anything…to do…with it," he said as he tried to catch his breath. "Not…my idea."

I stepped away from him, out of arms reach, and glared at him.

"Not your idea, but you're going along with it anyway. Right?"

He stood up straight and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm following orders here, the same as you are." He paced back and forth a few times before stopping. He wasn't looking at me, he was staring towards the window and his fists kept clenching. "I know all to well what kind of man Jasper Whitlock is. Just knowing that he has any kind of interest in you…" He ran his fingers through his hair again in frustration and took a deep breath.

"If it was up to me, you would be on a plane right now to the other side of the world, as far away from him as possible." He finally looked at me. The fire in his eyes took my breath away. He walked towards me tentatively. I felt myself tense, still leery of him, but I didn't move as he placed his hands on my waist.

"You have to believe me when I tell you that my plan for this week is to keep both of us alive. I won't let anything happen to you, Bella. If it's the last damned thing I do, I will make sure you're safe."

Between the intensity of his eyes, the feel of his thumbs rubbing against my waist, and the power of the words he had just spoken, I found myself leaning into him. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust him. But could I afford to do that? I would be gambling with nothing less than my life.

My hands pressed against his chest, still not sure if I wanted to push him away or pull him closer. Instead of doing either I simply braced myself and stared deep into his eyes, trying to find in them any clue as to what I should do next.

"Why, Edward? Why should I trust you? Or believe you?"

He stared at me for a long moment before stepping away and shaking his head back and forth. He seemed to be debating something in his own mind, so I didn't interrupt him. Finally he snapped his fingers and went in the other room. He returned a moment later carrying something. It was the pictures that Alice had taken of the two of us.

"I ignored you through dinner last night. I didn't look at you or talk to you. I didn't even introduce you correctly. That was all done on purpose. I didn't want anyone to think we were together or that you meant anything to me at all."

I already knew that. I nodded my head at him as I tried to figure out where he was going with this.

"This is the moment that I fucked up." He handed me a picture from the stack. It was the one as we were leaving the restaurant and I tripped. "In that moment I dropped the façade of Edward Masen. _He_ would have let you fall, but _I_ could never let that happen. I won't let anything happen to you."

Holy shit. How in God's name was I supposed to make it through the next seven days without falling for this man? Better question, how was I supposed to make it through the next two minutes without jumping him?

I'm not sure how I managed it, but I did manage to resist Edward. We spent the rest of the evening watching television and eating take out food. Sleep was nearly impossible. Every time I would drift off I would have weird dreams about Tim and Edward. When my alarm finally went off I felt like I hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

Edward slept on my couch and from the looks of it he hadn't slept much better than I did. We didn't talk much as we took turns getting ready to go. I made us a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast before we left.

My phone chimed numerous times with texts from the team. Tony told me good luck and to remind Edward that he would gladly kick his ass if need be. McGee also told me good luck and apologized for breaking my heart. Whatever. My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. Ziva told me to kick ass and take names. And Gibbs told me to watch my back. I didn't even know Gibbs knew how to text.

I hadn't allowed myself to think about what I was doing or where I was going. In my gut I knew that I wasn't ready for this. I was way out of my league here. My nerves started to get the best of me as Edward was placing my suitcase in the trunk of his car. .

"Are you okay? You look kind of green?" Edward picked up on my nerves right away. How was I ever going to pull this off?

"Fine. Just a little nervous." That was the understatement of the century.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently on the forehead.

"I'll be right there with you, Bella," he whispered in my ear.

I nodded against his chest and took a deep breath. Ready or not it was time to go.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Now, if everyone that has this story on alert will review, ya'll will make me sooo happy! Think about it, okay? I've had a rough week...<strong>

**That being said, I'll have a teaser for chapter 9 for anyone that reviews. :)**

**Also - I'm looking for anyone out there that would be willing to make a banner for Under Cover. Any volunteers?**

**If you haven't read 'Through the Flames' by SparklingTwilight, you're missing a good angsty firefighter-Edward story. I STG, his family reminds me of my own family in this story. Story ID is 5883476 and it's complete.**

**Now...scroll down just a little bit and leave a review in the box. You know you want to...**


	9. Author's Note

**A/N: I hate when author's post an author's note as a chapter. Then you get all excited for a new chapter, only to find it's pointless rambling from the author. Yeah, well, sorry! I felt the need to put this out there for all my loyal readers. You all don't like to review, but I know you're reading b/c I can see the hits.**

**Anyway, I wanted to let you guys know that I will probably not be posting any updates for a while. I know, shocking, considering I'm not the most reliable poster anyway. This is way different though. This is far more than writer's block.**

**Six weeks ago my mom started having trouble remembering things. The doctor's attributed it to her overactive thyroid and the medication she was on. Two weeks ago they realized that her 'confusion' was actually short-term memory loss. A CT scan showed a brain tumor deep in the right side of the brain. Last week they did a biopsy to determine if it was cancerous, and if so, what type of cancer. During the biopsy she developed a bleed. They abandoned the biopsy and did a craniotomy to relieve the pressure. She is finally out of ICU, but is still having issues with motor function due to the hematoba. She will need intensive physical therapy just to walk again.**

**The doctors believe the tumor is a stage 4 glioblastoma, which is a very aggressive brain tumor. With aggressive treatment, they think she could have 12 - 16 months. **

**This has come as quite a shock to me as my mom is an integral part of my life. **

**So I hope you can understand, dear readers, when I say that I will not be able to write any time soon. Between spending every free minute I have driving back and forth to the hospital, and seriously not being in the right mood to write romance, I think I'm going to have to just hit pause for the time being. **

**P&PT for mom is greatly appreciated. **

**Sincerely,  
>Mary Ellen, aka mezy<strong>


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